The Federal Government (FG) has acknowledged that national grid collapses will continue due to its inability to repair a critical transmission line in northern Nigeria, citing persistent insecurity as a major barrier.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this during the 2025 budget defence session with the Senate Joint Committee on Power.
He identified the damaged Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando transmission line, which has been out of service since a vandalism incident in October 2024, as a key factor contributing to the grid’s instability.
“The Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando line is one of two main lines supplying power to the north. While the Ugwuaji-Makurdi line, which was also vandalized, has been repaired, insecurity has made it impossible to fix the Shiroro-Kaduna line,” Adelabu explained.
“This situation leaves the grid overly dependent on a single line, making it highly fragile and prone to failure,” he added.
The minister acknowledged that while efforts to prevent collapses entirely are ongoing, the government is prioritising measures to minimize their frequency and ensure faster restoration when outages occur.
Adelabu emphasised the critical role of security collaboration, particularly with the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to combat vandalism—one of the biggest threats to the power sector.
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During the session, the minister outlined a proposed N2 trillion budget for the ministry and its agencies, with N229 billion allocated to the ministry itself.
He highlighted key initiatives, including a N700 billion Power Metering Initiative (PMI) aimed at closing the metering gap, improving billing transparency, and curbing fraud in the power system.
Additionally, Adelabu announced plans to invest N36 billion in the procurement and distribution of transformers across the six geopolitical zones.
To address insecurity and protect critical infrastructure, the minister proposed the installation of solar-powered streetlights and CCTV cameras along highways. This initiative, budgeted under a N200 billion allocation, is designed to monitor and deter vandalism and other criminal activities.
