The Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, has briefed President Bola Tinubu on the current electricity disruption in 17 states in Northern Nigeria.
Adelabu said on Monday that vandalism is the root cause of the disruption on the Shiro Kaduna Transmission Line, which supplies electricity to the region.
He said: “The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is working to fix the line, with security support from the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Chief of Air Staff.
“As a temporary solution, an alternative line from the Ikot Ekepene substation, supplied from the Calabar plant, is being explored. However, this line has also encountered issues.”
The ninister highlighted the need to upgrade the Siroro Kaduna transmission line, one of Nigeria’s oldest lines.
“Approval for this upgrade has been granted, and once completed, power supply to the North is expected to stabilize.”
Adelabu pointed out the importance of a distributed power model, utilizing solar energy to provide reliable electricity to northern states.
“Each state will have an embedded utility, solar scale, and solar source, insulated from each other. This model will reduce pressure on the national grid and provide better services,” he said.
The minister acknowledged concerns about frequent grid disturbances, citing old infrastructure as the primary cause.
He added: “The national grid is over 50 years old, with weak transmission lines, falling towers, and outdated substations.
“Efforts are underway to revamp the grid, including establishing a super grid and regionalizing the grid to prevent widespread disruptions.”
Adelabu announced plans to meet with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and distribution companies (DISCOs) to ensure customers affected by the blackout are not billed for the period.
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