Minister Orders Urgent Overhaul of National Grid for Improved Efficiency

How the Minister’s National Grid Overhaul Will Impact Energy Users

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has ordered an immediate overhaul of the national power grid to address frequent collapses that have caused widespread blackouts.

This directive follows recommendations from a committee he set up to examine and resolve issues within the national grid, including updating outdated infrastructure, investing in newer technologies, and improving response measures to power disturbances.

The overhaul plan includes deploying Internet of Things (IoT) devices to monitor equipment health and securing private investments for a more robust and resilient energy system.

The committee’s proposals emphasize critical maintenance upgrades, replacing aged transformers and transmission lines, and enhancing SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems for real-time monitoring.

The minister has also supported decentralizing Nigeria’s power system by developing state and regional grids, a move made possible by the 2023 Electricity Act, which allows local governments to participate in electricity generation and distribution.

This decentralized approach aims to reduce the impact of grid failures on the entire nation, focusing disruptions on affected areas rather than the entire country.