The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has emphasized the need for regional or state power grids to address Nigeria’s recurring grid collapses. Speaking on Wednesday at the unveiling of Hexing Livoltek, an electricity meter manufacturing company in Lagos, Adelabu pointed out that grid collapses are “almost inevitable” due to the poor condition of the country’s power infrastructure. He suggested that decentralizing the power sector, made possible by the 2023 Electricity Act signed by President Bola Tinubu, could lead to greater stability.

“This Electricity Act has decentralised power. It has enabled all the subnational governments, the state government and the local government, to be able to participate in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity,” Adelabu explained. He added that if regional or state grids were established, “if there’s a problem with a particular grid, only the state where it belongs will be affected, not the entire nation.”

Adelabu also acknowledged that without significant investment, grid collapses will persist. “This is almost inevitable as it is today, given the state of our power infrastructure… Why won’t you have collapses, either total or partial? It will continue to remain like this until we can overhaul the entire infrastructure,” he said. However, he noted there had been no collapses in the last four months, except for a partial one two days prior.

The minister commended Hexing Group for its investment in Nigeria at a time when others were divesting. Robert Liang, CEO of Hexing Group, hailed the company’s expansion into Nigeria as a “pivotal moment” and emphasized its commitment to advancing clean energy in the country. “It’s more than just an office; it’s a step towards a future where clean energy drives the growth of this great nation,” Liang stated.