FG Strengthens Grid Resilience to Boost Electricity Supply

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving grid stability through faster infrastructure restoration, better coordination among sector agencies and sustained investment in the electricity value chain.

The Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, said this when he announced the restoration of the vandalised Benin–Egbin 330kV transmission line, recovering a significant portion of electricity supply to Lagos and neighbouring states following recent disruptions caused by planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station and damage to critical transmission infrastructure.

He explained that the recent disruption affecting Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and parts of Kwara State was not a national grid collapse, but a reduction in available electricity supply resulting from the simultaneous loss of two critical power infrastructure assets.

According to him, the Benin–Egbin transmission line, which typically conveys between 300 and 400 megawatts into the Lagos electricity complex, was vandalised at a time when Egbin Power Station was undergoing planned maintenance. The combination of both incidents resulted in the loss of almost 800 megawatts of supply, necessitating load shedding across the affected areas.

Mr Tegbe noted that the ministry immediately activated interventions to address the situation and restore electricity supply, fulfilling his earlier commitment to resolve the disruption within 48 to 72 hours.

“The Benin–Egbin line has been restored; the Lagos complex is receiving about 1,000 megawatts,” the Minister said on Monday during a television interview on TVC.

He further disclosed that Egbin’s ST1 turbine had returned to operation, while another turbine, ST3, was expected to come on stream that evening, adding approximately 150 megawatts to the Lagos electricity complex.

Looking beyond the immediate disruption, Mr Tegbe identified the restoration of the Oshogbo–Ikeja West transmission line as another critical intervention to strengthen electricity supply to Lagos and the Ogun corridor.

The line, which has been out of service for approximately 18 months following the vandalism of about six transmission towers, would typically convey an additional 400 megawatts into Lagos.

He explained that restoration work had been prioritised despite the difficult terrain, which includes swampy areas that make access and repairs challenging. The government is targeting the completion of the restoration by the end of November 2026.

The Minister noted that four major transmission lines serve the Lagos electricity complex, but only three were operational at the time of the interview. Restoring the fourth would provide additional capacity and reduce the vulnerability of the corridor to disruptions.

Mr Tegbe also identified infrastructure vandalism as a major threat to electricity reliability, noting that the destruction of transmission towers and other critical assets undermines the investments being made to improve power supply.

To address the challenge, he disclosed that a joint task force comprising the Ministry of Power, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Office of the National Security Adviser, Homeland Security and other security agencies had been established to strengthen the protection of electricity infrastructure.

The task force is mapping vulnerable locations and exploring the deployment of drones and other surveillance technologies to monitor transmission corridors and improve security responses.

The Minister noted that the government is also working with the National Assembly to strengthen the legal framework for prosecuting offenders and ensuring that the destruction of critical national assets attracts appropriate consequences.

He appealed to Nigerians to support the protection of electricity infrastructure, stressing that the destruction of a single transmission tower can disrupt electricity supply to thousands of households and businesses.