Decentralisation of grid will address frequent collapses –Ex-Presidential aide

President-elect, Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, has said the frequent collapses of the national grid can be curbed by regionalisation of the system. Professor Sambo, who served as Special Adviser on Energy to former President Goodluck Jonathan, stated this on Thursday when he delivered the 12th convocation lecture of the Kwara State University […]

President-elect, Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, has said the frequent collapses of the national grid can be curbed by regionalisation of the system.

Professor Sambo, who served as Special Adviser on Energy to former President Goodluck Jonathan, stated this on Thursday when he delivered the 12th convocation lecture of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete.

His lecture was titled, “The Optimum Utilisation of Nigeria’s Energy Resources for the Sustainable Growth and Development of the Nation.”

Sambo, a Professor Emeritus of Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Designs, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said the recent power outage in 17 states caused by damage of transmission towers in a state by bandits, should not be allowed to happen in the future.

As a step towards the regionalisation of the National Grid, the expert said that states should ensure they have state-wide grids as part of establishing their electricity markets as provided by Electricity Act 2023.

“All state grids can operate independently such that faults in one state will not affect other states. State grids should be interconnected with the grids of contiguous states,” he noted.

He further suggested that dispatchable power plants should be available in states to be located at strategic points along the National Grid.

Renewable energy power plants and small modular reactors, he noted, have been found to be effective dispatchable power plants.

“The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) TCN says it is only 70% completed, which enables real-time monitoring and control of the grid, allowing operators to detect faults, manage loads effectively and respond to issues swiftly, should be completed as quickly as possible”, he said.

According to him, there is the need for institutions of effective security monitoring of energy infrastructure, “Such that cameras and sensors can effectively send out signals before damages or theft of energy supply components are done.

He said the recent inauguration of the Council for Securing National Critical Infrastructure by the federal government, is a move in the right direction.

Sambo said with the petroleum Industry Act coming into effect in 2021 and the more recent Electricity Act 2023, the coast is clear for the optimal use of the nation’s conventional and renewable energy resources to provide for the socio-economic growth of the nation.

He said, “Providing energy for agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism will enable generation of revenue other than from sale of oil and gas.”

This, he added, would ensure that Nigeria did not slip to economic recession whenever a pandemic like COVID-19 occurs.

In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor, KWASU, Professor Shaykh Luqman Jimoh, stated that the theme of the lecture was both timely and crucial, considering the vital role energy plays in shaping the socio- economic development of any nation.

The VC, who said that the university remained resolute in its mission to foster intellectual growth and contribute to national development, added that the lecture exemplified commitment to addressing critical issues and proffering practical solutions through the power of knowledge.