By Ado Oyeyemi
The Federal Government has approved plans to develop new eastern and western electricity grids to strengthen Nigeria’s transmission network and curb recurring national grid collapses.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this at an energy conference organised by HBSAN in Lagos, saying the government was preparing to commence the procurement process for the projects.
He said Nigerians could begin to experience the benefits of the planned infrastructure within two to three years.
Tegbe also revealed that a nationwide technical audit of electricity infrastructure was underway to identify faults and determine facilities requiring urgent repairs or replacement.
According to him, the exercise would enable the government to direct resources towards the actual causes of transmission failures rather than spend money on the wrong equipment.
“We have started a technical audit across the entire country to say where do we have issues, and what issues specifically do we have,” the minister said.
He explained that the assessment would help engineers distinguish between problems involving transformers, conductors, relays, insulators and transmission towers before deciding on the appropriate interventions.
Tegbe added that the audit was expected to be completed within a few weeks, after which the government would prioritise areas requiring immediate attention.
The minister attributed some of the sector’s persistent challenges to ageing transmission infrastructure, noting that certain facilities had been in operation for decades.
He said some transmission towers and lines dated back to the era of the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria, which preceded the National Electric Power Authority.
“This government has inherited a problem of 50 years,” Tegbe said, recounting his experience inspecting some of the facilities.
He added that his visits to transmission sites revealed equipment bearing the ECN logo, underscoring the age of some of the infrastructure still in use.
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The minister maintained that the planned grid expansion and technical audit were part of efforts to address longstanding weaknesses in the transmission system and improve electricity supply across the country.
