“Federal Government to Build Super Grid to Tackle Persistent National Grid Collapses – Power Minister”

In an effort to address the persistent issue of national grid collapse, the Federal Government of Nigeria has finalized plans to construct a super grid, according to a statement released by Bolaji Tunji, the media aide to the Minister of Power

Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, who attended the China-Africa Cooperation Summit in China, expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of the national grid, stating that it cannot support the government’s vision for the power sector. “If we look at the strength, the capacity and the age of our existing network on the national grid, it cannot really support our vision for the power sector hence the need for the construction of the Western and Eastern super grid,” Adelabu said.

The minister revealed that 90 percent of the required approvals for the super grid project are already in place and will be concluded soon. He also noted that President Bola Tinubu fully supports the initiative, as it is expected to improve the transmission network, stabilize the grid, and expand the capacity and flexibility of the national grid.

The announcement comes months after former Minister of Power Barth Nnaji advocated for the construction of a super grid to end the frequent collapse of the national power grid. Nnaji had stated that the current grid structure was not robust enough and had previously sought the approval of the Federal Executive Council to build a 765KV super grid network that would rise above the existing 330KV network.

Nnaji commended the current power minister, Adebayo Adelabu, for reviving the super grid project, emphasizing its importance in transmitting power from high-capacity power plants like the Manbilla Power Plant, which is expected to generate over 10,000 megawatts of power upon completion.

Nigeria’s national grid has collapsed more than five times in 2024 alone, leaving Nigerians in darkness and highlighting the urgent need for a more stable and reliable power transmission infrastructure. The Federal Government’s plan to construct a super grid is seen as a crucial step towards addressing this issue and improving the country’s power sector.