The Federal Government has announced an initiative to create an independent super grid for each of the 19 northern states. This was revealed by Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday, October 28, in Abuja.
This announcement comes in the wake of a significant blackout that has affected the northern region since October 21, raising concerns among stakeholders nationwide.
Adelabu stated that the President has instructed that repair efforts be expedited to restore power in northern Nigeria. He explained, “The world is moving. This is the 21st century, and we believe that the most effective way to provide uninterrupted and reliable electricity to the northern part of Nigeria is through a distributed power model, where each state will have its own embedded utility solar source.”
He emphasized that each of the 20 states will be insulated from one another, reducing the risk of widespread outages. “We have made progress, with interested contractors and financiers ready to install 100 megawatts of capacity for each of the 20 northern states, starting with 50 megawatts and upgrading to 100 megawatts later.”
Adelabu also mentioned the establishment of a super grid, which will serve as a backup system. “If there are issues with the national grid, this alternative grid will allow power to be transmitted without interruption.”
He concluded by stating that the shift towards regional grids is essential: “The world has moved beyond a central grid; we must have state grids to ensure that problems in one area do not affect others.”
