The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that the national electricity grid will remain vulnerable to frequent collapses due to the government’s inability to repair a critical transmission line in northern Nigeria, citing persistent insecurity in the region as the primary challenge.
Speaking on Monday during the 2025 budget defense session with the Senate Joint Committee on Power, Adelabu highlighted the Shiroro-Kaduna-Mando transmission line, which has been out of service since a vandalism incident in October 2024. He described the situation as a significant contributor to the grid’s instability, leading to substantial losses for the nation.
“The Kaduna-Shiroro-Mando line was one of the two major lines transmitting power to the North. Unfortunately, it remains down due to insecurity,” the Minister explained. “The second line, the Ugwuaji-Makurdi transmission line, which was also vandalized, has already been repaired. However, relying on a single line to transmit power to the region creates unnecessary strain on the system, making it highly fragile.”
Adelabu emphasized that the government’s current focus is on expediting restoration efforts when grid collapses occur, though the root problem remains unresolved due to the security challenges hampering repairs.
