Nigeria’s Minister Of Power Defends 2Trillion Naira Budget Proposal Before Senate Committee On Power, Says Grid Only Collapsed Eight Times In 2024 And Not Twelve.

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has admitted that the country’s fragile and outdated power grid can not entirely eliminate collapses but assured that efforts are being made to reduce their frequency and improve response times.

Adelabu made these remarks during the budget defence session before the Senate Committee on Power, where he presented a proposed N2 trillion budget for 2025.

The breakdown includes N1.1 trillion for the Ministry of Power, N588 billion for the Rural Electrification Agency, N4.6 billion for the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency, N28.7 billion for the National Power Training Institute, N2.5 billion for the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited and N270.4 billion for the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

The minister clarified conflicting reports about grid collapses in 2024, stating that Nigeria experienced eight incidents, not 12 as claimed in some quarters.

The minister noted that only five of the twelve reported collapses were full collapses with three others being partial.

According to Adelabu, three of the full collapses were due to power generation issues such as solar and gas supply shortages.

The remaining two were attributed to vandalized transmission lines, including the Kaduna-Shiroro-Mando and Ugwuachukwu-Bauchi-Makurdi lines.

He emphasized that insecurity remains a major obstacle to repairing these critical lines, with some cases handed over to security agencies for resolution.

He also noted that the national grid, being the sole power supply source for northern Nigeria, is overburdened and highly vulnerable.

Adelabu highlighted a 5% improvement in energy access, which rose from 59% at the end of 2023 to 64% in 2024, driven by grid expansion and renewable energy projects.

He highlighted Key Achievements in 2024 of
Power GeneratioInc which eased by 30%, from 4,100 MW in 2023 to 5,528 MW by the end of 2024.

He says the number of mini-grid projects rose to 12, with two deployed in each geopolitical zone.

He stated that 700 transformers were installed by the Rural Electrification Agency, and 10 power transformers were imported, installed, and commissioned under the Presidential Power Initiative to strengthen the national grid.

He acknowledged that over 13 million electricity customers have been metered, with over 7 million on estimated billing.

He stated that the government has allocated N700 billion to procure 2 million meters annually over the next five years, targeting 10 million meters in total.

Adelabu outlined key objectives under the Presidential Power Initiative for 2025, which includes revamping five major substations across the country to enhance grid stability.

He says efforts are on to ensure more customers migrate to Band A for 20–24 hours of daily electricity supply.

The minister admitted that the proposed budget is insufficient to sustain the power sector, underscoring the urgent need for modernization and investment.

During the session, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe questioned the rationale for the government’s continued financial support for power distribution companies (DisCos), suggesting a review of their contracts and potential government takeover if inefficiencies persist.

The Senate Committee has requested the minister to return with all DisCos to discuss their contract performance and obligations.

Adelabu expressed optimism about ongoing reforms and reiterated the government’s commitment to delivering stable and reliable electricity for all Nigerians.