The national electricity grid remains susceptible to additional collapses due to the government’s failure to repair a crucial transmission line in northern Nigeria, largely attributed to the ongoing insecurity in the region, SAVANNAH NEWSNOW REPORTS
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, stated that the vandalism of the Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando transmission line, which has been out of service since October 2024, continues to strain the grid and has led to frequent power grid collapses, exacerbating Nigeria’s already unstable electricity supply, during the 2025 budget defense session with the Senate Joint Committee on Power.
The Minister stressed that the grid will remain vulnerable until the line is repaired, and urged for enhanced security measures to facilitate the rapid restoration of critical infrastructure.
“The Kaduna-Shiroro-Mando line was one of the two major lines transmitting power to the north. The second, the Ugwuaji-Makurdi line, was also vandalized but has been repaired. The Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line, however, remains down due to insecurity,” he said on Monday.
“This is why our grid is so fragile, as it relies on a single line, causing unnecessary strain.”
The minister stressed that although grid collapses are anticipated to persist, the government’s priority is to decrease their occurrence and ensure prompt restoration.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration, particularly with the office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in addressing vandalism, a significant challenge facing the power sector. The minister also announced a N2 trillion budget for the ministry and its agencies, with N229 billion allocated to the ministry.
Furthermore, he revealed a N700 billion fund for the Power Metering Initiative, aimed at reducing the metering gap and enhancing billing transparency and reducing fraud by next month.
“We recognize the issues with full or partial grid collapses, but our focus is on reducing the time it takes to restore power. We are actively collaborating with security agencies to achieve this,” Adelabu said.
The minister also disclosed plans to invest N36 billion in the distribution of transformers across the six geopolitical zones.
As part of efforts to address insecurity, Adelabu has proposed the installation of solar lights and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras on highways across the country, aimed at monitoring the movements of vandals and other criminal elements, enhancing security and protecting critical infrastructure.
The proposal is included under a N200 billion sub-head in the 2025 budget.
