The Federal Government has approved plans to develop new eastern and western electricity grids as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s recurring national grid collapses. The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed this at a recent energy conference organised by the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria (HBSAN) in Lagos.
Procurement Process to Begin Soon
Tegbe said the government was preparing to begin the procurement process for the projects, adding that Nigerians could start experiencing their benefits within two to three years. He explained that the administration was also conducting a nationwide technical audit to identify weaknesses in the electricity transmission network and determine which facilities needed urgent repairs or replacement.
Three Energy Zones and Critical Corridors
Tegbe said the government had divided Nigeria into three energy zones to help identify areas requiring the most urgent interventions. He highlighted the Lagos and Abuja corridors as critical areas, noting that addressing electricity transmission challenges in these locations could resolve a significant portion of the country’s power problems.
“If you fix Lagos and you fix the Abuja corridors, you’ve solved more than half of the problem of Nigeria,” the minister said. He added that President Bola Tinubu had approved plans to develop the eastern and western grids, stressing that expanding transmission infrastructure was necessary alongside improvements in operational efficiency.
Technical Audit to Guide Repairs
The minister said the ongoing technical audit would help the government determine the actual causes of faults across the electricity network before allocating funds for interventions. According to him, identifying the specific problems would prevent the government from spending resources on equipment that did not require repairs.
“I don’t want to fix transformer issues where I have conductor and relay problems. I don’t want to fix insulators where the challenges I actually have are towers,” Tegbe said. He disclosed that the exercise was expected to be completed within a few weeks, after which the government would identify priority areas and direct resources towards the most urgent challenges.
Ageing Infrastructure Remains a Major Challenge
Tegbe attributed some of the transmission network’s persistent problems to infrastructure that has been in service for decades. He said some electricity towers and transmission lines dated back to the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN), which existed before the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).
According to the minister, the age and deteriorating condition of some facilities have contributed to the difficulties facing the sector. He described the situation as a longstanding challenge inherited by the current administration, noting that some transmission structures were built approximately 50 years ago.
The proposed grid expansion and technical audit form part of the government’s efforts to address these structural weaknesses, improve transmission capacity and reduce disruptions to electricity supply across Nigeria.
Lagos to Get 24-Hour Electricity
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported on FG and Lagos State’s plan to pilot 24-hour electricity zones, with Lagos selected as the first location before the initiative expands to other major corridors. The programme aims to address power supply, grid and market challenges affecting homes and businesses. A joint technical committee will identify the steps needed to move the plan from preparation to implementation.
