- The Federal Government has approved plans for eastern and western electricity grids to tackle Nigeria’s recurring power grid collapses, with benefits expected within two to three years.
- A nationwide technical audit will identify faults, prioritise repairs and guide investment in ageing transmission infrastructure.
The Federal Government has approved plans to develop new eastern and western electricity grids to address Nigeria’s recurring power grid collapses.
Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe disclosed the plan at the recent Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria (HBSAN) energy conference in Lagos. He highlighted the government would begin procurement and Nigerians could see the benefits within two to three years.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s ageing transmission infrastructure. Meanwhile, the government has launched a nationwide technical audit to identify faults and prioritise critical repairs.
FG Prioritises Eastern and Western Grid Development
Tegbe said the government had divided Nigeria into three energy zones to guide its electricity infrastructure interventions. He identified Lagos and the Abuja corridors as priorities because they account for a significant share of national electricity demand.
“If you fix Lagos and you fix the Abuja corridors, you’ve solved more than half of the problem of Nigeria,” Tegbe said.
However, he stressed that improving operational efficiency alone would not resolve the sector’s challenges. The government must also expand transmission infrastructure to strengthen the grid and improve electricity delivery.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the process of developing the eastern and western grids, Tegbe said. The government is now preparing to advance procurement for the projects.
He added that Nigerians should begin to see the projects’ benefits within two to three years.
Technical Audit to Identify Critical Faults
The government has also started a nationwide technical audit of electricity infrastructure. The exercise will identify specific faults and determine which facilities require urgent repairs or replacement.
Tegbe said the audit would help officials direct funding towards the actual causes of transmission failures. This approach would prevent the government from repairing equipment that does not address the underlying problems.
“For example, I don’t want to fix transformer issues where I have conductor and relay problems,” he said. “I don’t want to fix insulators where the challenges I actually have are towers.”
Tegbe said the government expected to complete the audit within a few weeks. Officials would then use its findings to prioritise interventions across the country.
Ageing Infrastructure Deepens Transmission Challenges
Tegbe attributed some transmission network problems to infrastructure that has remained in service for decades. He said certain towers and transmission lines date back to the era of the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN), which preceded the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).
The minister said he had seen ageing equipment bearing the ECN logo during a site visit. He used the discovery to illustrate the scale of the infrastructure challenges inherited by the current administration.
“This government has inherited a problem of 50 years,” Tegbe said.
He added that the government must address these longstanding weaknesses to improve the reliability of electricity transmission.
Grid Expansion Targets Long-Term Reliability
The planned eastern and western grids, alongside the technical audit, form part of the government’s strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s transmission network.
However, the projects’ impact will depend on implementation, effective procurement and targeted investment in critical infrastructure. The government expects the new grids to begin delivering benefits within two to three years as it works to reduce recurring grid collapses.