Power Minister Joseph Tegbe has assured Nigerians that recent electricity supply disruptions have been resolved, projecting that the country will achieve stable power supply within the next three to five years. Speaking on a TVC television programme on Monday, the minister addressed the outages that affected four states, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which had caused significant inconvenience to residents and businesses.
Tegbe confirmed that the immediate causes of the recent blackouts, which he previously attributed to scheduled maintenance at Egbin Power Station, gas supply constraints, and alleged sabotage of transmission lines, have been addressed. He stated that the maintenance exercise was completed and electricity had been restored to major areas in Lagos, including Ajah, Lekki, Ikoyi, Magodo, and Ikeja, as of Sunday night.
“Number one, we’ve sorted out this little challenge we had in the last few days. It was painful for most of you. But look, we fixed it. And we will ensure that that stability remains. My focus is to ensure grid stability,” Tegbe said.
The minister emphasized that achieving long-term stability requires substantial investment in infrastructure to meet growing demand. He noted that the rise in remote working and the increasing energy requirements for artificial intelligence and data applications have made expanding generation and transmission capacity imperative. Tegbe acknowledged that infrastructure development is a gradual process, stating, “Infrastructure build out is not done overnight,” and appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience while the government works to improve supply.
In a significant move to bolster the national grid, Tegbe disclosed that the Federal Government is planning a $2 billion investment in an east-west super grid. This project aims to strengthen the electricity transmission network by linking key locations including Funtua, Gwagwalada, Ikot Ekpene, Benin, Epe, and Ilorin. The minister stated that the procurement process has commenced, with the project expected to be completed within two years.
The new super grid is designed to complement existing facilities and significantly increase the national grid’s transmission capacity from approximately 4,000 megawatts to 19,000 megawatts. Additionally, the government is working to facilitate greater private sector participation in electricity transmission within the next two to three years. Tegbe concluded by reiterating that the immediate priority is optimizing existing infrastructure to minimize disruptions, promising that Nigeria will enjoy a more stable power supply as these improvements take effect.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
