Adelabu Summons TCN, NERC Over Grid Collapses, Forms Investigative Committee

Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of power, has called an emergency meeting with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) following recent disturbances to the national grid, which resulted in widespread blackouts across the country.

A statement released by Bolaji Tunji, the minister’s special adviser for strategic communication and media relations,  on Tuesday, noted that the meeting was held over the weekend. 

Expressing his concern over the incidents, Adelabu noted that such disruptions could undermine the progress made in the past year, including the increased generation and distribution of 5,527 megawatts, the highest recorded in three years.

In response, the minister has constituted a six-member forensic investigation committee tasked with offering recommendations to strengthen the national grid’s reliability and stability.

“The committee will advise the government on necessary solutions to make the national grid robust and reliable, in addition to ongoing efforts such as the Presidential Power Initiatives (PPI) and the Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project (NETAP),” Adelabu said.

A key focus of the committee’s mandate will be determining the root causes of the recent disturbances, including the possibility of sabotage.

The team will conduct a thorough review of grid stability and assess the investments and technical upgrades needed to develop a smarter and more resilient power system.

In addition, a technical team has been deployed to evaluate critical points on the grid, identifying vulnerabilities and recommending measures to prevent future disruptions.

The six-member investigation committee is led by Nafisat Ali, executive director of the Independent System Operator (ISO).

Other members include Chidi Ike, commissioner at NERC; Ishola, general manager of the National Control Centre (NCC); Emmanuel Nosike, director of Transmission at the Federal Ministry of Power (FMoP); Ali Sharifai, general manager of the Transmission Service Provider (TSP); and Adedayo Olowoniyi, chief technical adviser to the Minister of Power.

The committee is expected to submit its report to the minister by November 1, 2024.

The first grid disturbance occurred on Monday, October 14, when a line tripped at the Jebba Transmission Substation, compounded by recurring issues at the Osogbo Substation.

Efforts to restore the grid faced setbacks the following day, but full power was restored by Wednesday, October 16.

Another disruption followed on Saturday, October 19, which was described as a “deliberate protective shutdown” of the grid, triggered by the explosion of a transformer at the Jebba Substation. “What we had were more of grid disturbances than collapses,” Adelabu explained.

Adelabu noted that preliminary assessments indicate the explosion was due to ageing equipment and was unrelated to the earlier incident.