Sule Abdulaziz, the Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has emphasized that TCN should not be blamed entirely for the frequent failures of Nigeria’s national power grid. In a recent interview on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, he explained that these failures can result from multiple factors, including problems with power generation, transmission, and distribution systems.
Abdulaziz stated, “TCN is responsible for the grid, but if there’s a collapse, it doesn’t mean TCN is the only cause. Issues can arise from generation, transmission, or distribution, and sometimes these problems can also come from disasters.”
He highlighted that there had been two grid disturbances in the past week—one on Monday and another on Saturday. However, he clarified that reports of another collapse on Tuesday, October 15, were incorrect. “We were restoring the grid on Monday and faced some setbacks, but that was not a collapse,” he explained.
While acknowledging the need for improvement, Abdulaziz pointed out that progress has been made since 2015. “Since 2015, grid collapses have decreased. For over a year from 2022, we had no grid failures, which shows we are making progress.”
He emphasized that Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure needs significant investment, as much of the equipment is very old, with some dating back 40 to 50 years. “These outdated pieces cannot work perfectly,” he said, stressing the importance of continuous investment in upgrading the grid.
Abdulaziz noted that while some projects are funded by the federal government, most maintenance work is financed through TCN’s own revenue. “We finance much of our maintenance from internally generated revenue,” he stated, adding that some projects receive federal funding.
In conclusion, he acknowledged the challenges of upgrading the grid, explaining that it is not feasible to upgrade everything simultaneously. “Each year, we plan projects funded by the federal budget while also working on maintenance through our own revenue,” he said.
