The Managing Director and CEO of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, has identified aging infrastructure as a major challenge affecting the power sector.
He noted that much of the equipment in use is outdated, some of it up to 50 years old.
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Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program, Abdulaziz addressed the recurring grid failures in the country. “The transmission system needs a lot of investment, and for so many years in this country, that sector has been neglected. Most of the equipment we use is 50 years or 40 years old. So, it is not possible for those infrastructures to work perfectly,” he explained.
Abdulaziz also shared his optimism about achieving consistent electricity supply across Nigeria within the next five years. He stated that TCN is implementing various measures to prevent future nationwide blackouts, including the deployment of a backup system to address grid collapses.
“Presently, we are doing the scatter system for the whole network, and it is funded by the World Bank. The project will take two years to be completed, and now, we have done 70% of the project,” he said, referring to the ongoing system upgrade. He added that this system would help reduce the frequency of system disturbances.
He further emphasized the TCN’s efforts to upgrade transmission lines, despite financial challenges. “The honourable minister is now working with the presidency to have that approval. This is what we call the super grid. By the time we have it, even if there is a fault in one transmission line, you can switch to the other so that we have an alternative,” Abdulaziz explained.
In partnership with private companies, TCN is working to mobilize funds to support these crucial upgrades, with the goal of significantly improving Nigeria’s electricity transmission system.
