Stakeholders in Nigeria’s electricity sector have raised concerns about the national grid’s instability, which has collapsed 162 times since 2013.
Joy Ogaji, CEO of the Association of Power Generation Companies, blamed poor infrastructure.
Sanusi Garba, chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, noted its impact on power quality, while Nafisatu Asabe Ali, Executive Director of the Independent System Operator, highlighted equipment failures at Oshogbo Transmission Station.
Frequent Grid Collapses In Nigeria Highlight Urgent Need For Infrastructure Overhaul
In a recent public hearing in Abuja, stakeholders in Nigeria’s electricity sector voiced alarm over the repeated collapses of the national grid, attributing these failures to outdated infrastructure and inadequate maintenance practices.
Specifically, Joy Ogaji, CEO of the Association of Power Generation Companies, revealed that the grid has collapsed 162 times since 2013, making it one of the least reliable systems worldwide.
Consequently, she called for a robust database to track grid incidents effectively.
Moreover, Ogaji emphasised the economic fallout, stating that Generation Companies (GenCos), Distribution Companies (DisCos), and various industries are experiencing substantial financial losses due to the instability.
Read Also: Nigeria In The Mud As National Grid Collapses For The Third Time In One Week
To address this issue, she suggested that implementing spinning reserves could mitigate the volatility, as the grid has consistently failed to maintain the standard frequency of 50Hz.
In addition, Sanusi Garba, chairman of NERC, echoed these concerns, explaining that the ongoing issues not only affect the quality of power supply but also threaten the financial sustainability of power generation and distribution.
He noted that without reliable electricity, the manufacturing sector will continue to suffer, leaving the economy overly dependent on residential customers.
Finally, Nafisatu Asabe Ali, Executive Director at the Transmission Company of Nigeria, acknowledged the need for detailed investigations into equipment failures, particularly those linked to the Oshogbo Transmission Station.
Ultimately, the consensus among stakeholders is clear: a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure is critical for long-term stability.
