‘We Are Almost Done’ – Adebalu Hints On Why National Grid Collapse May Not Happen Again

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that adding 700 megawatts to the country’s national grid may end grid collapses as the ministry has almost completed the pilot phase of the project.

Adelabu made this announcement during a meeting with the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, at his office in Abuja.

As stated in a release from the minister’s spokesperson, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu noted that the increased transmission capacity was made possible by the Presidential Power Initiative, commonly referred to as the Siemens project, which has successfully obtained $2.3 billion in funding to enhance and modernize its transmission infrastructure.

Providing an update on the initiative, Adelabu mentioned that the pilot phase is now 90 percent finished.

“We have installed almost 90 percent of this, and they are working.

“And that has improved transmission capacity by over 700 megawatts, which is the result of what we are seeing now in terms of relative stability in the transmission grid,” Adelabu stated.

He further said that, “We have almost completed the pilot phase of that project, which involved the importation, installation, commissioning, and energization of 10 power transformers across the country and another set of 10 mobile substations.”

He explained that before the 700 MW electricity capacity installation, whenever the national peak reached 5,000, it became unstable and led to collapse.

“Before now, at the time the supply to the grid entered 5,000, the grid was unstable; it shook, collapsed, and all that.

“Now, we are having an average of 5,000, 7,000, and 8,000 megawatts. So, it’s not by accident. It’s because of these activities of the government,” the Minister added, noting that the country in recent times has achieved two milestones: the highest average of 20,000 kilowatt-hours of daily power consumption and the highest distribution of energy at 5,801 MW.

“Over 20,000 kilowatt-hours it achieved, which has never been achieved before.

“The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry has transmitted and distributed the highest energy of 5,801.63 MW as the latest feat,” the statement further noted.

Naijaonpoint reports that the recent developments occur against the backdrop of the nation experiencing partial blackouts on at least two occasions this year due to issues with the power grid.

While the Transmission Company of Nigeria has stated that there have been no grid failures in 2025, it also acknowledged that the country faced a minimum of twelve grid collapses in 2024.