FG Gets Report on Incessant Power Collapse, Begins Immediate Implementation

*Grid fails 11th time this year, Nigerians thrown into darkness again

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government has received the report of a committee set up to investigate the immediate and remote causes of frequent electricity grid collapse in the country.
The government has also pledged to begin immediate implementation of the recommendations by the committee led by the Executive Director of the Independent System Operator (ISO) Nafisatu Ali.

Also yesterday, the Minister for Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, ordered the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and all other relevant agencies of the ministry to begin the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the inter-agency committee.
The minister’s matching order came as the TCN reported that the national grid experienced a disturbance at approximately 11:29 am, on Thursday, November 7, 2024, caused by a sudden rise in frequency from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.

Speaking at the event where the report was presented in Abuja, the Minister of Power, Adelabu, stated that the negative implications of grid failures were far-reaching on the economy of the country, including constraining the livelihoods and businesses of Nigerians.
According to Adelabu, grid collapse also negatively impacts the growth and development of the education and health sectors as well as small-scale industries.

“Everybody is interested in this report, and they’re also interested in what we make out of the report. It is not so much about putting the report together, the content matters.
“And I’ve gone through, I must tell you, even though we’re still listening to official presentation, it’s quite deep, it’s quite comprehensive, and it’s quite inclusive. And the recommendations are practical recommendations, realistic recommendations, that are implementable, and I believe will bring an end to this ugly trend,” Adelabu stated.

The minister explained that by now the issue of grid collapse should be a thing of the past, citing aging facilities as well as poor maintenance in the past as part of the reasons.
“But it is not a situation that is not insurmountable. We can correct it. We can reverse it, if we all believe in this. It touches on our operations and maintenance culture. And the federal government has taken major steps in ensuring that the entire transmission network is revamped through the various projects that have been put into place.

“If we can carry out or implement all this, I believe the issue of grid collapse will be a thing of the past. So we have a lot of work to do, I must tell you,” Adelabu told the heads of agencies under the ministry.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairperson of the committee, Ali, in her presentation, proffered solutions and strategies to surmount the challenge.
In the short-term, she recommended a review of ‘relaying philosophy’ and settings, particularly at critical nodes, capacity development for maintenance/ System Operations (SO) staff as well as testing of existing equipment at the critical nodes to establish reliability.

She further called for the development of a framework and adopt reliability-centred maintenance and identification of critical ongoing projects for speedy completion (low hanging fruits)
In the medium-term, Ali stated that the authorities must strengthen relay coordination, replace aged and obsolete equipment, enhance SCADA and telecommunication tools, develop a framework to attract private investment across the value chain and deploy IoT device on generating units and transmission lines.
The committee’s report further stressed the enforcement of Free Governor Mode of Operation (FGMO) and removal of ad-lash taped optic fibre.
In the long term, the report said there was the need to enhance distribution network and capacity, promote decentralised grid management and implement full SCADA and telecommunication upgrade across the network.

Besides, a statement in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Strategic Communications and Media, Bolaji Tunji, quoted the minister as saying that all relevant agencies in the ministry must brace up for the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the committee.
“The recommendations of the committee are far reaching and will proffer lasting solutions to the incessant power grid collapses that we have embarrassingly witnessed in the country in the immediate and long term,” Adelabu said.
Reacting to the grid failure yesterday, the TCN in a statement by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, blamed a disturbance at around 11:29am, caused by a sudden rise in frequency from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.

Mbah stated that recovery efforts began immediately, adding that the Abuja axis was restored within 28 minutes while recovery for other parts were ongoing.
“The frequency spike was caused by issues encountered at one of our substations, which had to be shut down to prevent further complications. In addition to this, we are actively engaged in significant repair work on several critical transmission lines and substations.

“This includes the 330kV transmission lines along the Shiroro–Mando axis, major upgrades at the Jebba Transmission Substation, and the restoration of the second Ugwuaji–Apir 330kV transmission line.
“Furthermore, following the submission of the investigative report on the causes of previous grid collapses, we have  begun addressing the identified weaknesses in the transmission system.

“ Efforts are being made to close the gaps highlighted in the report and to enhance the overall stability and resilience of the grid. These efforts include both technical upgrades and strategic interventions based on the committee’s recommendations.

“However, it is important to note that while these repairs and improvements are underway, some degree of instability in the system is likely to persist until all major works are completed. We acknowledge the impact of these disruptions and ask for the understanding and patience of the public during this challenging period,” the TCN stated.