Remembers how Nigerians were left in complete darkness in 2024 after the national grid failed more than five times.
The Federal Government has announced plans to construct a super grid to prevent the ongoing national grid collapse. The power minister, Adebayo Adelabu, condemned the current state of the national grid, stating that it does not support the vision for the power sector. Adelabu stated that the strength, capacity, and age of the current network on the national grid do not support the vision for the power sector, thus necessitating the construction of the Western and Eastern super grid.
The President is fully in favor of this, he said, even though we have been working on it since my return. It will strengthen our transmission network, stabilize the grid, and increase the capacity and flexibility of the national grid.
According to Adelabu, 90% of the necessary approvals are in place and will be completed shortly.
According to Nnaji, the current national grid’s poor structure was the reason it kept crumbling.
Nnaji said that the power ministry that was under his direction had applied to the Federal Executive Council years prior for permission to construct a 765 KV network, or “super grid,” which would surpass the current 330 KV.
He claims that the 765KV is big enough to draw electricity from plants with significant capacities, such as the Manbilla Power Plant.
He disclosed that the nation still lacks a transmission network that, when finished, could pull electricity from Manbilla.
Nigeria’s power sector is facing challenges in its transmission network, which is not robust and well-structured. The current national grid is not robust enough to handle the regular failures. To address this, the country is advocating for multiple autonomous but connected grids to the national grid. During his government, the Federal Executive Council approved a super grid, a 765KV network, to take power from power plants like Manbilla, which will generate over 10,000 megawatts of power.
The 765KV network will allow Nigeria to take power from various plants and transmit it to wherever it is needed. The Chairman of Geometric Power commended incumbent power minister Adebayo Adelabu for reviving the super grid project. The aim is to improve Nigeria’s power system and reduce the risk of grid failures. This initiative will not only increase the reliability of the power supply but also help in meeting the growing energy demands of the country. It is a significant step towards achieving energy security and sustainability in Nigeria.
