Adelabu: Power grid collapse inevitable due to outdated infrastructure

Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, says the frequent system failure at the national grid is inevitable due to the outdated infrastructure.

Speaking during the unveiling of Hexing Livoltek, a new electricity meter manufacturing company in Lagos on Wednesday, Adelabu stressed the importance of increased investment in power infrastructure to prevent future collapses.

The minister said the frequent grid collapses, which have plagued Nigeria’s power supply, are largely inevitable given the deteriorating state of the country’s power infrastructure.

“We keep talking about grid collapse. Grid collapse whether it’s a total collapse, partial collapse, or slight trip-off. This is almost inevitable as it is today given the state of our power infrastructure,” Adelabu said.

“The infrastructure is in deplorable conditions so why won’t you have trip-offs? Why won’t you have collapses, either total or partial? It will continue to remain like this until we can overhaul the entire infrastructure. What we do now is to make sure that we manage it.”

He noted that there have been improvements in managing the grid, adding that the grid did not collapse for four consecutive months until a partial collapse occurred on Monday, which was resolved in less than two hours.

“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. What we work on now is how to improve our response time to bring it up each time it collapses,” he said.

“There are transformers of 60 years old, and 50 years old, and you’re expecting them to perform at the optimal rate. It is not possible.

“That is why we need a lot of investments in this infrastructure to bring them up to speed, to bring them up to the state that can give us a grid that will not collapse again.”

‘DECENTRALISING POWER GRIDS CRUCIAL TO PREVENT POWER FAILURES’

The minister stressed the importance of decentralising the power sector, advocating for multiple grids within regions and states to ensure that power failures in one area do not affect the entire nation.

“This Electricity Act has decentralised power. It has enabled all the subnational governments, the state government and the local government, to be able to participate in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity,” he said.

“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.

“This will enable us to start moving gradually towards having regional groups and possibly having state grids.

“And 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. So, this is one of the impacts this Electricity Act will have.”

During the event, the minister commended Hexing Livoltek for its commitment to investing in Nigeria amid a challenging economic environment.

Adelabu said the event marked a significant milestone in the journey of the sector towards a more efficient and equitable electricity sector.

He said the launch of the company’s meter manufacturing factory represents a significant step toward local content development, job creation, and reducing the nation’s dependence on importation.

Robert Liang, chief executive officer (CEO) of Hexing Group, expressed optimism about the company’s expansion into Nigeria, describing it as a pivotal moment for advancing clean energy in the country.

“This is a proud moment for the Hexing Group as we open our branch in Nigeria. It’s more than just an office,” Liang said.

The CEO added that the launch marks a step toward a future where clean energy will fuel the nation’s growth.