The Federal Government has accredited a $2 billion funding in a brand new East-West Super Grid designed to strengthen Nigeria’s electrical energy transmission community and supply extra capacity of not less than 19,000 megawatts.
The Minister of Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed this in an announcement on Monday, in accordance to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The proposed infrastructure will traverse Funtua, Gwagwalada, Ikot-Ekpene, Benin, Epe and Ilorin, with supply anticipated inside 18 to 24 months. Tegbe mentioned procurement processes had commenced following presidential approval.
East-West Super Grid provides 19,000MW
Tegbe mentioned the brand new Super Grid would complement the prevailing nationwide grid moderately than change it, offering extra transmission capacity to enhance electrical energy supply throughout the nation.
He mentioned the venture fashioned a part of broader efforts to determine and tackle infrastructure weaknesses throughout the transmission community.
According to the minister, a technical audit launched shortly after he assumed workplace recognized deficiencies involving transmission towers, insulators, conductors and relays throughout a number of transmission corridors.
The audit is predicted to information the substitute of crucial gear and be certain that authorities spending addresses precise infrastructure failures. Tegbe mentioned the substitute programme would start within the coming months following presidential funding approval.
He additionally recognized the Oshogbo–Ikeja West transmission line as a precedence for restoration.
- “When restored, the line is expected to provide an additional 400 megawatts into the Lagos electricity complex,” he mentioned.
FG tackles transmission and GenCo money owed
Beyond transmission infrastructure, Tegbe mentioned the federal government was addressing monetary constraints affecting electrical energy technology firms (GenCos).
- He disclosed that the Federal Government had paid N1.23 trillion out of roughly N3.3 trillion owed to GenCos, leaving an impressive steadiness of about N2 trillion.
The minister mentioned the unpaid obligations had constrained the businesses’ potential to meet monetary commitments to gasoline suppliers. The authorities is concentrating on settlement of the excellent steadiness in 2027 to enhance liquidity and help electrical energy technology.
Tegbe additionally pointed to underutilised energy crops within the Niger Delta as a possibility to improve electrical energy provide.
- Facilities operated by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) have a mixed put in capacity exceeding 3,000MW however presently contribute roughly 400MW to the nationwide electrical energy provide.
He mentioned enhancing the efficiency of those crops, alongside resolving gasoline provide and transmission constraints, would assist improve electrical energy delivered to shoppers.
Electricity Act opens market to states
Tegbe recognized the Electricity Act 2023 as a significant growth within the restructuring of Nigeria’s energy sector, noting that it permits state governments and personal buyers to take part in electrical energy technology, transmission and distribution.
- He mentioned states may develop electrical energy markets suited to their wants by way of unbiased energy technology, mini-grids and gas-fired energy options. Lagos, Ogun, Abia and Enugu are among the many states exploring completely different approaches.
- The laws additionally permits bilateral electrical energy preparations, permitting mills to provide prepared off-takers instantly or feed energy into the nationwide grid.
- According to Tegbe, these provisions are creating alternatives for funding, competitors and recapitalisation throughout the sector. He added that the Federal Government expects private-sector participation in transmission to broaden over the subsequent two to three years.
Last month, the minister outlined a roadmap to stabilise Nigeria’s electricity grid and broaden transmission capacity, with a give attention to enhancing provide and attracting contemporary funding.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Electricity Act 2023 into law in June 2023, changing the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 and establishing a framework for the post-privatisation part of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
In March 2026, the Federal Government said power-sector reforms had attracted $2 billion in investment and diminished liabilities to N146 billion. It additionally reported that 16 state electrical energy markets had been activated.
However, regulatory coordination stays a key problem. In April 2026, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said the success of Nigeria’s electricity reforms depended on clearer regulatory frameworks and stronger coordination between federal and state authorities.
