Power generation companies in Nigeria’s power sector, Generation Companies (GenCos) have said that the incessant grid collapses and disruptions experienced in the country are a pointer to the infrastructure and other challenges in the power sector.
The executive secretary, Association of Power Generating Companies (APCG), Dr Joy Ogaji, made the submission before the House of Representatives Committee on Power on Thursday.
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The committee is investigating the recurrent grid collapses in the country based on a motion sponsored by Sani Bala (APC, Kano) and passed by the House.
She said, “The incessant national grid collapses in the past 9 years have been a thing of concern, with the recent ones occurring panoramically and mostly at the weekends with no clear explanation as to the causes from TCN to operators.”
According to her, the country experienced 136 partial and total grid collapses from 2013 to January 2022.
Giving the breakdown, she said, there were 89 total collapses and 47 partial collapses within the years considered.
Dr Ogaji added that most of TCN’s infrastructure has been operating for over 25 years and could not function as they are supposed to on the transmission lines.
She, however, noted that the improvement being witnessed in power supply was because GenCo’s machines were being used to manage the grid.
On his part, the minister of state for Power, Goddy Jeddy Agba, said necessary measures are being taken in collaboration with stakeholders and operators in the sector to address the challenges.
He reiterated that the disruptions were caused by many factors, including human, through sabotage, as it happened a month ago when the country had a blackout for a while.
Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Ahmed Abdulazeez, said as a result of the measures put in place, system disruption incidences have been reduced from 2017 to 2021 because there has been sustained improvement in infrastructure, which increased grid stability and more power transmission.
The chairman of the committee, Magaji Da’u Aliyu, said the challenges in the country’s power sector were known and identified; the only thing needed was to put heads together and bring out the will to address the challenges.
