The Federal Government has warned that national grid collapses will persist due to the government’s inability to repair a key transmission line in northern Nigeria, largely because of ongoing insecurity in the region.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, made this statement during the 2025 budget defense session with the Senate Joint Committee on Power, shedding light on the long-standing impact of the damaged Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando transmission line, which has been out of service since October 2024 after a vandalism incident.
“The Kaduna-Shiroro-Mando line was one of the two major lines transmitting power to the north. The second line, the Ugwuaji-Makurdi line, was also vandalized but has been repaired. The Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna line, however, remains down due to insecurity,” Adelabu explained, stressing the fragility of the grid as it now depends on a single line, putting immense pressure on the entire system.
While acknowledging the continued grid failures, the minister assured that the government is focused on minimizing the frequency of these collapses and speeding up the restoration process.
He emphasized that collaboration with the National Security Adviser’s office is crucial to combat vandalism, a key challenge for the sector.
Adelabu also shared that the Ministry of Power has been allocated N2 trillion in the 2025 budget, with N229 billion dedicated to the ministry itself.
He highlighted a N700 billion fund for the Power Metering Initiative (PMI), aimed at closing the metering gap and improving billing transparency.
Additionally, the minister revealed plans to invest N36 billion in the distribution of transformers across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, as well as a proposal for the installation of solar lights and CCTV cameras along highways.
This initiative, part of a N200 billion security fund in the 2025 budget, aims to monitor and deter vandalism and other criminal activities affecting critical power infrastructure.