National grid collapse will persist due to insecurity – Minister of Power

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has revealed that the frequent collapse of Nigeria’s national electricity grid will persist due to the government’s inability to repair a key transmission line in northern Nigeria, hindered by ongoing insecurity

Speaking during the 2025 budget defense session with the Senate Joint Committee on Power, Mr. Adelabu highlighted the challenges posed by the damaged Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando transmission line, which has been out of service since October 2024 following a vandalism incident.

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

The minister noted that the grid’s fragility stems from reliance on a single functional line, causing undue strain and frequent collapses.

Despite these setbacks, Mr. Adelabu assured that efforts are being made to reduce the frequency of collapses and improve restoration times. He also emphasized ongoing collaboration with the National Security Adviser and other security agencies to tackle infrastructure vandalism.

Additionally, the minister announced plans to invest N36 billion in the distribution of transformers across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

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