- Federal Government to add 150MW of electricity to Nigeria’s grid by December 2024
- Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu is confident of grid stability following a 750MW addition from the pilot phase
- Nigeria’s collaboration with Germany is expected to drive the country’s energy transition towards net zero by 2060
The Federal Government has announced plans to increase Nigeria’s electricity supply by 150MW before the end of 2024.
This was disclosed by Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu on Wednesday, after a business session at the State House, during the visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to President Bola Tinubu.
“So we believe that before the end of the year, an additional 150MW of capacity is going to be added upon completion of the entire pilot phase,” stated while discussing the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative agreement.
Recall that on December 1, 2023, Nigeria and Germany signed the Presidential Power Initiative agreement, which is set to contribute 12,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.
Adelabu, further said, “The game now is about cooperation, collaboration and partnership. The flagship of this bilateral relationship has to do with what we call the Siemens project, which is our Presidential Power Initiative where Siemens is implementing the Brownfield and Greenfield transmission substations of the Presidential Power initiative.
“Since signing the agreement in Dubai at COP 28 in December 2023, we have made significant progress. We have completed the pilot phase of this project, up to 80 per cent.
“This involves the importation, installation and commissioning of 10 power transformers and 10 power mobile substations. They’ve been imported. They’ve been installed, and lots of them have been commissioned. We have just about two left to be commissioned before the end of the year.”
He added, “The project had added at least 750 megawatts to our transmission grid capacity, which is why the relative stability we are seeing in the grid today is the direct positive impact of the pilot stage completion.”
Nigeria's power grid faced 12th collapse in 2024
His statement came just hours after the national grid suffered its 12th collapse in 2024.
Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, stated during an October 28 briefing that Nigeria's power grid transmits just 4,000MW, even though it has an installed capacity of 13,000MW, largely due to ageing infrastructure.
This quantity of power is, however, woefully inadequate for Nigeria's 200 million-plus population, leaving many regions without stable electricity and placing a heavy burden on both individuals and government institutions, who struggle to meet rising electricity costs.
In addition to the challenges posed by poor infrastructure, Nigeria's power grid has also been subjected to sabotage.
The Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line was targeted by armed groups in October, disrupting power supply to 17 northern states.
Security concerns prevented repair crews from reaching the site after the incident. Repairs began only after President Bola Tinubu instructed the National Security Adviser to liaise with the Army and Air Force to provide necessary security, including aerial protection for the engineers.
According to Adelabu, the administration's actions are set to stabilise the power supply.
Adelabu announces major overhaul of Nigeria’s power grid
He said, “We are quite confident from the satisfaction that we got from the completion of the pilot stage. When we are done with the Phase One project in the transmission, the entire grid will not remain the same.
“That’s why we tell Nigerians this is a very old grid. It’s quite fragile, and it’s dilapidating.
“We need to revamp the entire grid to ensure stability going forward. That is the presidential power initiative,” Adelabu stated.
Adelabu further disclosed that the first phase of the project is now underway, focusing on the rehabilitation of 14 existing substations and the construction of 23 new ones nationwide.
He clarified that the commercial aspects of the first phase have been finalised, and the next step is to obtain no-objection approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement.
After this, the proposal will be put before the Federal Executive Council. Once it receives approval, financing arrangements will be finalised, and the first phase of the project will commence.
The minister emphasised the federal government's dedication to renewable energy as a central element of its energy transition strategy, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2060.
Power Minister Adelabu directs ‘immediate overhaul’ of national grid
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, called for immediate action to overhaul the national grid following repeated collapses and a recent disturbance.
A committee set up by Adelabu proposed key steps, including equipment audits, better maintenance, and attracting private investment.