By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Federal Government has approved plans to develop new Eastern and Western electricity grids as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s recurring national grid collapses.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this at a recent HBSAN energy conference in Lagos, saying the government was preparing to commence the procurement process for the projects.
According to him, Nigerians could begin to see the benefits of the planned infrastructure within two to three years.
Tegbe also announced that a nationwide technical audit of electricity infrastructure was underway to identify faults, assess existing facilities and determine areas requiring urgent intervention.
He said the government had divided the country into three energy zones, noting that addressing electricity challenges along the Lagos and Abuja corridors would resolve a significant part of the country’s power supply problems.
“The President has approved that we commence the process of building out the grid: East and Western grid. We’re going through the procurement process, but it’s something you’ll see the benefits in two to three years,” the minister said.
Tegbe explained that the audit would help ensure that repairs target the actual causes of failures rather than directing funds towards the wrong equipment.
“We have started a technical audit across the entire country to say where do we have issues, and what issues specifically do we have,” he said, adding that the exercise would guide the government’s priorities.
The minister attributed some of the transmission network’s weaknesses to ageing infrastructure, saying some towers and power lines dated back several decades.
He recalled seeing transmission facilities bearing the logo of the former Electricity Company of Nigeria, which preceded the National Electric Power Authority.
“This government has inherited a problem of 50 years,” Tegbe said, stressing the need to address longstanding infrastructure challenges.
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