Kehinde Fajobi
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has called for the establishment of regional or state power grids to tackle Nigeria’s recurring grid collapses.
Speaking at the unveiling of Hexing Livoltek, an electricity meter manufacturing company in Lekki, Lagos, on Wednesday, Adelabu explained that the current centralised grid system is vulnerable due to the poor state of the nation’s power infrastructure.
“We all rely on a single national grid today; if there is a disturbance of the national grid, it affects all 36 states. It shouldn’t be like that,” Adelabu said.
He noted that decentralising the power sector, enabled by the Electricity Act signed by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, would allow for regional and state grids, which would prevent nationwide blackouts.
“Each of these grids will be removed and shielded from each other. So, if there’s a problem with a particular grid, only the state where it belongs will be affected, not the entire nation,” he added.
Adelabu acknowledged that grid collapses are currently inevitable due to the outdated power infrastructure.
“Whether it’s a total collapse, partial collapse, or slight trip-off, this is almost inevitable given the state of our power infrastructure. It will continue to remain like this until we can overhaul the entire system,” he said.
He pointed out that some of the country’s transformers are 50 to 60 years old and no longer operate optimally, stressing the need for significant investment to prevent future collapses.
The minister highlighted that the power grid had been stable for the past four months until a recent partial collapse occurred earlier in the week.
“In the last four months, we have not heard of any grid collapse, except two days ago when we had a partial collapse that didn’t even last two hours,” he noted, adding that efforts are being made to improve response times when such incidents occur.
Adelabu also praised the Hexing Group for its investment in Nigeria, particularly at a time when other companies are pulling out. He said the launch of the meter manufacturing factory marks a significant step towards improving local content, creating jobs, and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported electricity meters.
Robert Liang, CEO of Hexing Group, expressed excitement about the company’s expansion into Nigeria.
“This is a proud moment for the Hexing Group as we open our branch in Nigeria. It’s more than just an office; it’s a step towards a future where clean energy drives the growth of this great nation,” he said.
Hexing has been a leader in smart energy systems and solar technology for over three decades, and Liang affirmed the company’s commitment to advancing clean energy in Nigeria.
As of Wednesday evening, the national grid that had collapsed on Monday and Tuesday had been restored.