The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has emphasized the need for regional or state-based power grids to prevent frequent nationwide grid collapses.
Speaking at the launch of Hexing Livoltek, an electricity meter manufacturing company in Lagos, Adelabu explained that Nigeria’s current power infrastructure is in poor condition, making grid collapses almost inevitable. He suggested that creating multiple grids across regions and states would help stabilize the system and limit outages to affected areas, rather than the entire nation.
Adelabu highlighted that the Electricity Act of 2023, signed by President Bola Tinubu, has decentralized power, allowing state and local governments to participate in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. He stressed that sufficient investment in upgrading the country’s aging infrastructure is essential to prevent further collapses.
Read Also: The World Bank ranks the Naira as one of Africa’s weakest currencies
The minister also mentioned that while there had been no grid collapses in the previous four months, a recent partial collapse occurred but was resolved within two hours. Adelabu reiterated the importance of rapid response times and significant investment to modernize the infrastructure.
At the event, he praised Hexing for investing in Nigeria and contributing to local content development, job creation, and reducing dependence on imports. Hexing Group CEO, Robert Liang, expressed optimism about the company’s expansion into Nigeria and its commitment to advancing clean energy in the country.
It was also noted that the national grid, which collapsed on Monday and Tuesday, had been restored by Wednesday evening.
