The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has revealed that the frequent collapses of Nigeria’s National Grid will persist unless critical repairs to the Ugwachi-Bauchi-Makurdi transmission line are executed.
Speaking on Monday while defending his ministry’s 2025 budget before the Senate Committee on Power, Adelabu cited insecurity in the northern region as the primary impediment to completing the much-needed repairs.
“As I am talking to you now, we have not rectified the major line which is the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line. Our grid is so, so fragile because it is only one line that is still supplying power to the north, and it is being burdened unnecessarily, we know the implication of this on infrastructure technicalities. Till today, we have not even fixed the Ugwachi-Bauchi-Makurdi line.” He explained.
The minister emphasized that the grid’s current state puts undue pressure on existing infrastructure, making it prone to collapse.
Grid Collapses in 2024
Addressing reports of grid collapses in 2024, Adelabu clarified that there were eight incidents, not 12 as reported, comprising five full collapses and three partial collapses.
“Out of the five full collapses, three were due to generation problems where we had issues with sudden reductions in generation compared to the power being taken up by the users, which affected the frequency imbalance on the grid,” the reason for this was not far-fetched. Two of the collapses were from vandalization issues, and I don’t want to emphasize this vandalization issue because we are all aware of what happened.” He said
Despite the challenges, Adelabu promised swift restoration efforts whenever future incidents occur.
Budget Performance and 2025 Proposals
The minister highlighted the ministry’s performance in the 2024 budget cycle, stating that it achieved about 50 to 55 percent of its goals and is optimistic about reaching 80 percent by June 2025.
In presenting the 2025 budget, Adelabu outlined the proposed allocation of about ₦2 trillion, emphasizing the need for additional funding for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“With all the noise, all the hues and cries about the instability of the grid, grid age, grid fragility, grid unreliability, there is not one naira appropriation for TCN, we expect TCN to fund its programmes through its internally generated revenue, which has been dwindling over the years based on the fact that we do not want to increase the tariff. I believe this committee should help us look into this by appropriating funds for TCN.” Adelabu lamented.
Priority Projects and Rural Electrification
Adelabu detailed several initiatives aimed at stabilizing the grid and improving electrification across the country. These include:
- Completion of TCN Projects: “We have over 100 uncompleted TCN projects, some at 35, 36, and 30 percent completion. No appropriation for TCN is a major problem that we want to register at this session,” he said.
- Transformer Distribution: “We have budgeted ₦36 billion for distribution segment transformers and replacements across the six geopolitical zones,” the minister added.
- Renewable Energy for Rural Areas: “Our rural dwellers are still suffering from energy poverty. It will be expensive to extend the grid for their benefit, so let us focus on alternative energy, which is renewable energy,” Adelabu said, noting that ₦30 billion has been allocated for the “Renewed Hope Light Up Rural Areas Programme.”
- Emergency Infrastructure Restoration: “We are setting aside ₦10 billion to intervene in emergency restoration work on vandalized infrastructure within 24 to 48 hours,” he explained.
Advocacy and Public Awareness
Adelabu also stressed the need for advocacy to educate Nigerians on protecting national power assets. “Our people need to be educated and reoriented to know that power assets are national assets, and we should all jointly own them. ₦200 million has been budgeted for advocacy,” he stated.
The Minister called on lawmakers to support the ministry’s efforts, particularly in addressing the pressing issues of insecurity and funding, to achieve a more stable and reliable power sector.
