by By Oluchi Omai
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has emphasized the need for regional or state power grids in Nigeria to tackle the frequent national grid collapses. He made this statement on Wednesday during the launch of Hexing Livoltek, a new electricity meter manufacturing company in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
Adelabu explained that grid collapses are almost inevitable due to the poor state of Nigeria’s power infrastructure. He suggested that establishing multiple power grids in each region or state would ensure more stability and prevent widespread outages. “Decentralizing the power sector will help achieve this goal,” he said, noting that this plan is now possible thanks to the Electricity Act signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
“The Electricity Act has decentralized power, allowing state and local governments to participate in generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity. Currently, we rely on a single national grid. If there’s a problem with that grid, it affects all 36 states. This shouldn’t be the case,” Adelabu explained. “We need to move towards having regional or state grids. Each grid will operate independently, so if one collapses, only the affected region or state will experience outages, not the entire country.”
He stressed that without sufficient investment in the power sector, grid collapses will continue. “Our infrastructure is in such bad shape that trip-offs and collapses, whether total or partial, are inevitable,” he noted. “The only way to prevent this is by overhauling the entire power infrastructure. For now, we are focused on managing the situation as best we can.”
Adelabu added that the country had gone four months without any grid collapse until a partial collapse occurred on Monday. “We didn’t experience any grid collapse for four months until this week when we had a partial collapse, which lasted less than two hours. Our goal now is to improve our response time, so we can quickly restore power when these collapses happen,” he said.
The minister also highlighted the need for more investment to replace aging equipment. “Some of our transformers are 50 to 60 years old, and we can’t expect them to perform at their best. That’s why we need serious investments to bring the infrastructure up to speed and prevent further grid collapses,” Adelabu explained.
During the unveiling of Hexing Livoltek, Adelabu praised the company for its commitment to investing in Nigeria despite challenges in the sector. He described the launch as a significant step toward creating a more efficient and fair electricity system in the country.
The minister further emphasized that the new meter factory would promote local content, create jobs, and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported electricity meters. He said this initiative was a crucial part of the government’s plan to revitalize the power sector.
Hexing Group’s CEO, Robert Liang, expressed optimism about the company’s expansion into Nigeria, calling it a major milestone in Hexing’s commitment to advancing clean energy. “This is a proud moment for Hexing Group. We are not just opening an office; we are taking a step toward a future where clean energy will drive Nigeria’s growth,” Liang said. He also highlighted the company’s three decades of expertise in smart energy systems, solar technology, and digital infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the national grid which collapsed on Monday and Tuesday, was restored by Wednesday evening.
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