The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has emphasized the urgent need for regional power grids to address the ongoing issue of grid collapses in Nigeria.
Speaking on Wednesday during the launch of Hexing Livoltek, an electricity meter manufacturing company in Lekki, Lagos State, Adelabu highlighted that the current state of the country's power infrastructure makes grid failures almost unavoidable.
Adelabu explained that establishing multiple power grids across different regions and states would enhance stability within the electricity supply system.
He pointed out that the recent Electricity Act, signed by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, facilitates this decentralization by allowing subnational governments to engage in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.
“This Electricity Act has decentralised power. It enables all levels of government to participate in electricity management. Currently, a disturbance in the national grid impacts all 36 states. This should not be the case,” he stated.
The minister explained that with independent regional grids, issues affecting one grid would only impact its respective state, rather than causing nationwide disruptions.
Addressing concerns about grid collapses, Adelabu warned that without significant investment in infrastructure, such failures will persist.
He noted that many transformers are outdated and incapable of optimal performance without substantial upgrades.
Despite these challenges, Adelabu reported that there had been no grid collapses for four months until a partial failure occurred recently. “Our focus now is on improving response times when issues arise,” he added.
As of Wednesday evening, reports confirmed that the national grid affected by recent collapses had been restored.
