Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu has told the Senate Committee on Power that the Federal Government had not yet found a solution to the recurring collapses of the National Grid.

Adelabu explained that issues such as insecurity, vandalism and inadequate infrastructure continue to threaten the grid’s stability, leaving no guarantee that the system will not experience further collapses in 2025.

But the minister also disputed the commonly reported figure that the National Grid had collapsed 12 times in 2024, clarifying that the actual number was eight. Of these eight collapses, five were full collapses and three were partial.

The minister explained that three of the full collapses were caused by sudden reductions in power generation, which disrupted the grid’s frequency balance.

The remaining two full collapses were attributed to vandalism.

The minister stressed that addressing the root causes of grid collapses, such as insecurity and the frequent destruction of infrastructure, would be key to ensuring a more stable grid.

While he could not offer a guarantee that the grid would not face future collapses, he assured the committee that efforts were being made to minimize their frequency and improve the recovery process.

Regarding the stability of the grid, Adelabu highlighted challenges in restoring the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna 330 kV transmission line due to insecurity.

The line, which supplies power to northern Nigeria, has not been fully restored because of attacks by bandits. In the meantime, the region is relying on the Uwaji-Apir-Makurdi 330 kV line, which also faces similar threats.

The minister explained that the cost of restoring the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line was beyond the budget of the Transmission Company of Nigeria , TCN, which has already spent N9 billion in unbudgeted funds on repairs.

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He described the dangerous conditions repair teams face, including armed bandits using explosives to destroy transmission towers, which required military intervention for safety.

On power generation, Adelabu reported an increase from 4,100 megawatts (MW) in 2023 to 5,528 MW in 2024, due to improvements in infrastructure under the current administration.

He also mentioned plans to install solar-powered lights and CCTV cameras on highways to monitor criminal activity, as part of broader measures to tackle insecurity.

The minister informed the committee that the power sector would need about N1.8 trillion in 2025 for necessary projects, although he admitted that securing such a large sum would be difficult.

The committee, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, criticized the performance of electricity Distribution Companies,DisCos,since the sector’s privatization.

Abaribe questioned the effectiveness of privatization, noting that many senators are still funding transformer purchases for their communities. He suggested the possibility of re-nationalizing the sector.

In defense of the DisCos, Adelabu argued that their performance should be assessed individually, as some have made investments in infrastructure while others have not.

He emphasized that each DisCo should be judged on its own merits rather than as a collective group.

Crediblenewsng.com