…Says FG plans to have 50-100MW solar plants in every northern state
By Obaike Odihue
The Federal Government has allayed fears over the prolonged power outages in some northern states, saying that efforts are underway to address the disturbing situation.
Speaking to newsmen after he had met with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidentaila Villa, Abuja on Monday, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu assured that power would be restored to the affected states soon
Seventeen states in northern Nigeria are currently in deep electricity crisis due to infrastructure vandalism.
The minister also assured that the government is committed to improving stability and reliability across affected regions.
He explained that the root cause of the outages lies in the vandalism of critical transmission lines along the Shiroro-Kaduna route, a key line supplying electricity to the north.
Adelabu confirmed that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has mobilized repair teams, who are now receiving security support from the National Security Adviser, as well as from the Chief of Defense Staff and Chief of Air Staff, to protect personnel as they work to restore the line.
“We discussed the root cause of this, which was basically due to vandalization of the transmission lines of Shiro Kaduna line, which is the major line that supply electricity to the north, and the transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, they already set out to fix this line.
“What they have asked for, which has been provided to them now is the security cover of the National Security Advisor through the chief of public staff and Chief of Air Staff to enable them restore the damaged land. And we are optimistic that very soon this will be fully restored,” he said.
According to him, the alternative line is also undergoing repairs, as it experienced its own damage during the recent disruptions.
Adelabu said as long-term solution, plans are underway to have a distribution power model tailored specifically for northern Nigeria, whereby each state in the region will be equipped with their own solar power stations.
This approach, he explained, leverages the region’s ample sunlight, enabling local power generation that reduces reliance on the national grid.
Each of the 20 northern states is expected to initially produce 50 megawatts, with capacity scaling up to 100 megawatts over time, he said.
”When we talk about a final volume of 100 megawatts for each of the northern states, this includes targeting not just households and looking at offices. We’re looking at institutions, both health and education institutions, and we’re looking at industrial clusters that are the major consumers of power. You understand, I believe 100 megawatt is just enough for us to attract good investors.
“But before then, it is scalable. We will start from having a 50 megawatt for each of the states, which we believe will go around whatever activities that happen in all of the northern states on a state by state basis.
“In fact, there are still some states in the north that do not need more than 25 megawatts. So our plan is to ramp it up 200 they will start low and then build up on whatever we have. That’s number one,” he said.
On concerns over national grid stability, Adelabu acknowledged that much of Nigeria’s grid infrastructure is outdated, with some components exceeding 50 years in service.
He said the government is actively working to overhaul the grid and establish a “super grid” backup system that would provide an alternative pathway for power transmission if the primary grid experiences issues.
This initiative, he said, is part of a broader goal to regionalize power supply, creating independent grids to prevent disruptions in one area from affecting other parts of the country.
He also announced plans to ensure that consumers affected by blackouts, particularly those in high-service Band A zones, will not be billed for days when they were without power.
