Why We Can’t End National Grid Collapses – Power Minister Adelabu

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has revealed that the frequent collapses of Nigeria’s national electricity grid are linked to ongoing insecurity in the northern region. Speaking during the 2025 budget defence session with the Senate Joint Committee on Power, the minister explained that these security challenges have made it difficult to repair key infrastructure damaged by vandalism.

Adelabu specifically pointed to the Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando power transmission line, which has been out of service since it was vandalized in October 2024. He explained that this line is critical to the country’s power grid and that its continued outage has placed a significant burden on the system, resulting in repeated failures.

“The Kaduna-Shiroro-Mando line was one of the two major lines transmitting power to the north. The second, the Ugwuaji-Makurdi line, was also vandalized but has been repaired. The Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line, however, remains down due to insecurity,” the minister said.

Adelabu noted that the grid’s reliance on a single transmission line has made it fragile and prone to collapse. He assured Nigerians that while complete elimination of grid collapses may not be immediate, the government is committed to reducing their frequency and restoring power more efficiently when they occur.

To address the persistent issue of vandalism, the minister highlighted collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser, led by Nuhu Ribadu. He emphasized that this partnership is essential to safeguarding critical infrastructure and ensuring improved grid stability.

As part of the ministry’s efforts, Adelabu presented a N2 trillion budget for 2025, with N229 billion allocated to the ministry itself. A significant portion, N700 billion, has been earmarked for the Power Metering Initiative (PMI), which aims to close the metering gap, enhance billing transparency, and reduce fraud by next month.

The minister also announced plans to invest N36 billion in the distribution of transformers across the six geopolitical zones, aimed at boosting power supply nationwide. Furthermore, he proposed a N200 billion project to install solar lights and CCTV cameras on highways, which would help monitor and deter vandalism and other criminal activities.

Adelabu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges in the power sector and working toward a more reliable electricity supply, even as it contends with the impact of insecurity in the northern region.