Adelabu directs ‘immediate overhaul’ of national grid

Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of power, has asked the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and other relevant agencies to immediately implement recommendations to overhaul the grid.

Adelabu spoke on Thursday, according to a statement by Bolaji Tunji, special adviser to the minister of power on strategic communications and media.

On October 22, the minister set up a committee to address the incessant grid collapses.

Tunji said the committee recommended an audit and testing of existing equipment and improvement in the maintenance of the transmission equipment and lines.

“The committee called for significant investments from the government and the private sector,” Tunji quoted the minister as saying.

“They also recommended the development of a framework and to adopt reliability-centered maintenance.

“The committee identified critical ongoing projects for speedy completion, [and] also recommended the replacement of aged and obsolete equipment, as well as enhance SCADA and telecommunication tools.

“They also advised a developing framework to attract private investment across the value chain, deploy IoT devices on generating units and transmission lines and secure firm gas contracts.

“The committee also called for the development and implementation of measures to combat vandalism and energy theft among others.”

Tunji also said the minister’s order followed the TCN’s report that the national grid had experienced a disturbance on Thursday, caused by a sudden rise in frequency from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.

“All relevant agencies in the ministry must brace up for the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the committee,” he said.

“The recommendations of the committee are far-reaching and will proffer lasting solutions to the incessant power grid collapses that we have embarrassingly witnessed in the country in the immediate and long term.”

Bolaji added that the TCN has assured consumers that efforts are being intensified to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

He said the company is working to ensure the full implementation of the committee’s recommendations to save Nigeria from grid collapses.