The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, emphasized the urgent need for regional power grids to combat the persistent issue of grid collapses in Nigeria. Speaking on Wednesday during the launch of Hexing Livoltek, an electricity meter manufacturing company in Lekki, Lagos, Adelabu highlighted the inadequacies of the current national grid system.
He noted that the deplorable state of the country’s power infrastructure makes grid collapses almost inevitable. To counter this, he proposed the decentralization of the power sector, made possible by the Electricity Act signed by President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
“This Electricity Act has decentralized power, allowing state and local governments to participate in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. Currently, we rely on a single national grid, which means that disturbances can impact all 36 states simultaneously. This shouldn’t be the case,” he stated. Adelabu suggested that establishing regional and state grids could insulate individual areas from broader national issues, so that if one grid experiences a problem, only the affected state would be impacted.
Adelabu stressed that significant investment in the power sector is crucial to avoid ongoing grid issues. “The infrastructure is in deplorable condition. Until we can overhaul it, collapses whether total or partial will continue,” he said, acknowledging that there had been no reported grid collapses in the previous four months until a partial collapse occurred recently.
He highlighted the necessity of improving response times to grid failures and called for investments to upgrade aging infrastructure. “There are transformers over 60 years old; expecting them to perform optimally is unrealistic,” he remarked.
During the unveiling of Hexing Livoltek, Adelabu commended the company for its investment in Nigeria, especially at a time when others are withdrawing from the market. He described the launch of the meter factory as a significant milestone towards a more efficient and equitable electricity sector, prioritizing local content and job creation while reducing reliance on imports.
Robert Liang, CEO of Hexing Group, expressed optimism about the company’s expansion into Nigeria, viewing it as a pivotal moment in advancing clean energy initiatives. “This is a proud moment for the Hexing Group. It’s more than just an office; it’s a step towards a future where clean energy drives the growth of this great nation,” he stated, highlighting Hexing’s expertise in smart energy systems and digital infrastructure.
The national grid, which experienced disruptions earlier this week, has since been restored as of Wednesday evening, but the focus remains on implementing structural changes to ensure stability in Nigeria’s power supply.
