By Constance Athekame
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has ordered the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and other relevant agencies of the ministry to begin the immediate implementation of the recommendations put forward by the inter-agency committee.
This was revealed in a statement by Mr. Bolaji Tunji, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Power on Strategic Communications and Media, in Abuja on Thursday.
Tunji explained that the committee had been set up to address the recurring grid collapses in the power sector.
The committee’s recommendations included conducting an audit and testing of existing equipment, as well as improving the maintenance of transmission equipment and lines.
It also called for significant investments from both the government and the private sector.
In addition, the committee recommended the development of a framework to adopt reliability-centred maintenance and identified critical ongoing projects for expedited completion.
The report further suggested replacing aged and obsolete equipment and enhancing SCADA and telecommunication tools. It also urged the creation of a framework to attract private investment across the value chain, deploying IoT devices on generating units and transmission lines, and securing firm gas contracts.
Moreover, the committee stressed the need for the development and implementation of measures to combat vandalism and energy theft, among other issues.
Tunji stated that the minister’s directive followed a report from TCN that the national grid had experienced a disturbance at approximately 11:29 a.m. on Thursday, which was caused by a sudden rise in frequency from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.
Quoting the minister, Tunji said: “All relevant agencies in the ministry must brace themselves for the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the committee.”
“The committee’s recommendations are far-reaching and will provide lasting solutions to the incessant power grid collapses that we have embarrassingly witnessed in the country, both in the immediate and long term,” he added.
Tunji assured that TCN had committed to intensifying efforts to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to consumers.
He also noted that the agency was working to ensure the full and immediate implementation of the committee’s recommendations to prevent further grid collapses in Nigeria.
