The Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, has announced plans to establish a super grid aimed at mitigating the frequent grid collapses disrupting electricity supply across Nigeria.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Adelabu revealed that President Bola Tinubu has expressed support for the initiative, and a proposal for the new grid is currently awaiting final approval from the presidency.
Adelabu acknowledged that the current national grid is outdated and fragile, underscoring the need for a backup system to ensure uninterrupted power transmission.
He explained that the super grid would function as a failover system, providing alternative power routes in the event of disruptions on the main grid.
“With the existing grid being weak and obsolete, a backup grid is essential. The super grid will serve as a secondary route, much like having an expressway alternative. If the main route fails, the backup ensures continued access to electricity,” Adelabu said.
He added that the project has already attracted the interest of investors and financiers and, following approval by the Federal Executive Council, work on the super grid would begin immediately.
“In advanced countries, such systems are the norm to minimize dependency on a single national grid. This project, fully supported by the president, will put an end to grid collapses,” the minister assured.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Sule Abdulaziz, provided updates on efforts to restore power to northern Nigeria following disruptions caused by vandalism.
Two 330kV Shiroro–Kaduna transmission lines were sabotaged recently, plunging parts of the northern region into darkness.
Abdulaziz attributed the delays in repairs to ongoing security challenges in the affected areas.
“Despite deploying local escorts and vigilantes, our engineers faced challenges as bandits obstructed restoration efforts. We later sought assistance from the Nigerian Air Force for aerial surveillance, which identified four damaged towers—three of which had collapsed.”
He added that vandalism along the Ugwuaji–Apir 330kV transmission line on October 21 further complicated efforts to transmit power between the southern and northern regions.
The incident significantly reduced TCN’s capacity to deliver electricity to the northern corridor.
However, Abdulaziz assured that the Nigerian Army has since secured the affected sites, and restoration work is underway.
“We expect to restore one of the Ugwuaji–Apir lines by November 3, which will allow TCN to transmit about 400MW of power across the affected corridor.”
He concluded by noting that the TCN is collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure the safety of personnel and sites during repairs on the Shiroro–Mando 330kV line.
