Nigerians were subjected no power supply as the national power grid dropped by 97.1 percent from 3,152.7MW at 11am to 88MW by 12 noon yesterday.
Recall that the National Grid recently collapsed after a fire incident on Kanji/Jebba 330kV line 2.
The TCN had said the incident is being investigated, with the view to forestalling future occurrence and invariably further strengthen the grid.
Data from the National System Operator, showed that as at 5pm, the Transmission Company of Nigeria,TCN, was still battling to restore the grid as supply rose to 246MW with Afam VI (1.6MW), Ibom Power (70MW), Olorunsogo Plant (58.6MW), Omotosho Plant (67.9MW), and Trans-Amadi (47.7MW), the plants on the grid.
The latest collapse makes it thrice in less than a week that the grid would suffer such setback after 421 days of stability.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu has revealed that he is aiming within the next three years for Nigeria to generate 20,000 MW and transmit 80 per cent to end users in the country.
According to the Minister, Nigeria’s power sector challenges will come to an end if the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) can transmit 80 to 85 per cent of generated power to customers to stay liquid.
Speaking yesterday at the ongoing Nigeria Energy conference held in Lagos State, he said, “If we cannot transmit 80 to 85 per cent of the generated power to customers, then we are wasting investments. We must invest in metering technology, if we can eliminate the 8 million metering gap in Nigeria and come up with technology to ensure that collections are monitored, and we can collect up to 90 per cent of power distributed, of course, liquidity is assured in this country.
“I am confident that the narratives in the power sector which is confronted with several challenges will change in the near future. The challenges we face ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy for all are quite complex and range from issues of energy security, and sustainability to addressing climate change, and will require collective efforts to surmount these challenges to realize our dreams of socio-economic development in our country.”
Continuing, he noted that: “There still remains a huge gap, especially in delivering adequate and stable power supply to consumers nationwide. The truth of the matter is, that all the progress we say we have made still creates efforts to be made if energy that is reliable and affordable cannot reach the end consumers, I mean the households, small businesses, institutions, and industries.
“I am however glad that in the recent past, stakeholders in the sector particularly experts and investors, have demonstrated reasonable interest and confidence in transforming the sector. I am confident that the impact will soon be felt by all Nigerians.”
According to the Honourable Minister, amidst Nigeria’s power sector challenges lie remarkable opportunities.
He said these challenges beckon Nigeria to embrace a transformative journey, one powered by renewable energy sources like solar, hydropower, and wind.
“This isn’t just a chance to shrink our carbon footprint; it’s an invitation to foster employment and drive robust economic growth,” he said.
He stated further that in this transformative pursuit, investments in cutting-edge technologies and pioneering innovations become imperative.
He also emphasised a green revolution in Nigeria’s transportation systems, propelled by electric vehicles and hydrogen technology, which he referred to as a necessity because it aligns us with a sustainable future, where our very mode of mobility echoes our commitment to a cleaner, brighter tomorrow.
He said: “Nigeria has a long-term energy expansion plan of about 60,000 megawatts (MW) by 2060, we have a medium-term target of 30,000 MW by 2030, these are not targets that are not achievable. Today, South Korea which has less than 50 million population figures, has well over 130,000 MW of power, they are also able to transmit, distribute and get the power to the doorsteps of end users. Who says 60,000 MW is not achievable in less than 40 years in Nigeria? It is and it requires the collective efforts of all of us.”
The Minister, also underscored how the Electricity Act stands as a harbinger of transformative changes.
According to him, “Its implications are vast and promising, poised to elevate access to electricity, enhance service quality, and drive critical infrastructural development.”