Amid concerns over recent disturbances to the national grid, which caused power outages across parts of Nigeria, Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has called for an emergency meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The meeting, held over the weekend, was convened to address the grid collapses that occurred twice in a week.
In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communication and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, the Minister expressed his dissatisfaction with the grid failures, emphasizing that they could undermine recent progress in power generation and distribution. Notably, the country recently achieved a record generation of 5,527 megawatts, the highest in three years.
To tackle the recurring issues, Adelabu constituted a forensic investigation committee tasked with determining the root cause of the grid disturbances and reviewing the possibility of sabotage. The committee will also evaluate the stability of the national grid, identifying the necessary investments and technical capacities to make it more resilient and robust.
In addition to this, a technical team has been deployed to assess critical points on the grid and recommend measures to prevent future disruptions. The six-member investigation committee, led by Engr. Nafisat Ali, Executive Director of the Independent System Operator (ISO), includes experts from the power sector and regulatory bodies.
The committee is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the Minister by November 1, 2024, as the government continues to pursue initiatives like the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) and the Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project (NETAP) to stabilize the national grid and improve the country's power infrastructure.
