Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu Calls Emergency Meeting on National Grid Stability
Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of Power, has convened an emergency meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) following recent incidents that have raised concerns about the national grid’s stability.
The minister expressed his disappointment, stating that these events could undermine the significant progress made over the past year, which has seen generation and distribution reach a record 5,527 megawatts.
To address these challenges, Adelabu has established a forensic investigation committee tasked with providing recommendations to enhance the reliability and robustness of the national grid.
This initiative complements ongoing efforts such as the Presidential Power Initiatives (PPI) and the Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project (NETAP) as the committee will also investigate the root causes of recent incidents, particularly regarding potential sabotage within the system.
Additionally, a technical team has been deployed to assess critical nodes within the national grid, aiming to identify vulnerabilities and propose solutions to prevent future disruptions. The Special Adviser to the Minister, Bolaji Tunji, indicated that the committee will thoroughly review the grid’s stability and recommend necessary investments and technical enhancements to create a smarter, more resilient grid.
Recent events included a partial collapse on October 14, attributed to the tripping of a line at the Jebba Transmission Substation and faults at the Osogbo Substation. While restoration efforts encountered setbacks, it was clarified that no grid collapse occurred on October 15, and what was perceived as a collapse on October 19 was actually a planned protective shutdown following a transformer explosion at Jebba, which was resolved within two hours. The situation has been characterized more by disturbances than actual collapses, according to official statements.
