National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Abdulaziz Sule, the MD of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), implored the Senate Committee on Power to aid in securing finances for completing over 120 projects aimed at enhancing the country’s transmission network.
During the committee’s visit to the TCN in Abuja, Sule highlighted the pressing need for increased budgetary allocation, emphasizing that the allocated N2 billion from the 2024 budget falls short of operational requirements. He cited vandalism as a significant challenge, particularly affecting projects in the North East and South East regions.
Sule also disclosed ongoing collaboration with a Chinese firm to establish a super grid and underscored the necessity of funding for new substations.
In her address, Engr. Nafisat Ali, the Executive Director of the Independent System Operator (ISO), flagged gas scarcity as a critical impediment in the power sector, stating, “Today there is no gas. We need gas.” She further lamented DisCos’ rejection of allocated loads despite the prevailing power shortage, labeling it a major challenge.
The TCN reported six power grid collapses in 2024, attributing them to gas shortages and infrastructure vandalism. Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, informed the committee of the government’s outstanding debts to Generation Companies and gas suppliers, urging swift resolution of the issue.
Adelabu outlined plans to increase power generation to 6,000 Megawatts by year-end and emphasized the goal of achieving a transmission capacity of 10-12,000 MW in the next three years. He identified the lack of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) as a contributing factor to grid collapses.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, expressed concern over the long-standing challenges in the power sector despite substantial investments. He pledged the committee’s commitment to addressing the gas debt and scrutinizing the implementation of the World Bank SCADA project.
Abaribe announced the committee’s intention to engage with the federal government to resolve the gas debt issue and review penalties for power infrastructure vandalism. Additionally, he disclosed plans to convene stakeholders, including the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), to discuss the recent tariff review.
Senator Abaribe, alongside the Power Minister and other officials, inspected ongoing projects before engaging with TCN members and staff in a separate meeting.
