150MW To Be Added To National Grid Before Year End — Adelabu
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced on Thursday that 150 megawatts (MW) would be added to Nigeria’s national grid before the end of the year. Adelabu made the statement after a closed-door meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to the minister, the addition is a result of the successful completion of the pilot phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI). He explained that the pilot phase, which is about 80% complete, included the importation, installation, and commissioning of 10 power transformers and 10 powermobile substations. He added that two of the substations are yet to be commissioned but are expected to be completed before the year ends.
Adelabu further highlighted that the positive impact of the project has already added 750 MW to Nigeria’s transmission grid capacity, contributing to the recent relative stability in the national grid. He emphasized that once the full pilot phase is completed, an additional 150 MW would be added.
Challenges with the National Grid
The announcement comes amid the 12th collapse of the national grid this year, which has left millions of homes without electricity. Experts have pointed to aging infrastructure and other factors as the main causes of the frequent grid failures.
Despite these setbacks, Adelabu reassured Nigerians that improvements are underway. He acknowledged that the current national grid is “quite fragile and dilapidated,” and emphasized the need to revamp it entirely to ensure stability moving forward.
“When we are done with the Phase One project in transmission, the entire grid will not remain the same,” he stated. “We need to revamp the entire grid to ensure a more stable electricity supply for Nigerians.”
