Power Outages Decrease Following 700MW Addition to National Grid – Power Minister
The Federal Government has announced a significant improvement in the stability of Nigeria’s power grid, attributing it to the installation of an additional 700 megawatts in transmission capacity.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said this at the weekend when he received the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, in his office in Abuja.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Minister’s media aide, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu said the transmission capacity was achieved through the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative which secured $2.3bn financing to revamp and transform its transmission segments.
He explained that previously when grid supply approached 5,000MW, the system became unstable and prone to collapse.
He added that nearly 90 per cent of the new capacity has already been installed and is operational, leading to noticeable improvements in grid performance.
The statement read, “We have installed almost 90 per cent of this and they are working. And that has improved transmission capacity by over 700 megawatts, which is the result of what we are seeing now in terms of relative stability in the transmission grid.
“We have almost completed the pilot phase of that project, which involved the importation, installation, commissioning, and energisation of 10 power transformers across the country and another set of 10 mobile substations.
“Before now, at the time the supply to the grid enters 5,000, the grid is unstable, it shakes, collapses and all that. Now, we are having an average of 5,000, 7,000, 8,000 megawatts. So it’s not by accident. It’s because of these activities of the government.”
The minister further explained that this administration has recorded two major milestones in the power sector ever in Nigeria.
He said number one is the highest average daily power consumption.
“Over 20,000 kilowatt hour it achieved, which has never been achieved before,” he added.
The minister said the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry has transmitted and distributed the highest energy of 5,801.63MW as the latest feat.
“And this administration has recorded two major milestones in the power sector ever in Nigeria. Number one, the highest average daily power consumption. Over 20,000 kilowatt hours were achieved, which has never been achieved before.
“We have also transmitted and distributed the highest energy in the volume of 5,801.63, which has broken the previous record, achieved in 2021. And lastly, we have achieved a valuable generation capacity of 6,003 megawatts ever in Nigeria. So which is why I keep saying that, when you put in some level of activity, you see the results”, he said.
Meanwhile, the minister has called on the member states of the European Union to continue to provide technical, financial, and other assistance to Nigeria, especially the power sector, which is the driving force of the economy.
He said the sector is critical to the optimal performance of the economy.
Adelabu expressed the readiness of Nigeria to continue to work and collaborate with the Union and all its development partners in achieving both bilateral and multilateral agreements.
