Experts in the power sector have urged the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and distribution companies (DisCos) to boost capacity.

They said the move would enable them to match generation companies (GenCos) and ensure regular electricity supply across the country.

The experts made the call in separate interviews on Sunday in Lagos.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, inaugurated four power transformers in Lagos on August 17 and 18.

The transformers added more than 600 megawatts to the national grid.

The General Manager, UniStar Limited, Ojota, Lagos, Atilade Bolarinwa, said generating power that could not be transmitted or distributed to consumers made little economic sense.

According to him, distribution capacity should be strategically enhanced to exceed transmission capacity.

He said transmission capacity must also remain substantially higher than generation capacity to ensure efficient evacuation of generated electricity.

“There is no economic sense in generating what can’t be transmitted nor distributed,” he said.

Mr Bolarinwa urged relevant ministries, departments and agencies in the power sector to work together and address the challenges affecting electricity supply.

He said the TCN and DisCos must find solutions to the avoidable challenges limiting the effective transmission and distribution of electricity.

Adekunle Makinde, former chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, described the recent inauguration of upgraded transmission substations in Lagos as a drop in the ocean.

According to him, TCN must do much more at various levels to strengthen the nation’s transmission infrastructure.

“I am aware that at present, we have a generating capacity of as much as 12,000 MW, but do we actually have the wheeling power?

“We can’t, as I’m speaking with you right now, wheel out more than about 5,000 MW, maximum, or 5,500 MW.

“And so, you have so much power being generated but cannot be transmitted,” he said.

Mr Makinde said Nigeria needs to strengthen transmission infrastructure to evacuate more generated electricity through available transmission lines.

He also urged DisCos to invest more in infrastructure to complement TCN’s efforts to improve electricity supply in Nigeria.

Mr Makinde said most transformers distribution companies use to supply electricity to consumers were obsolete or faulty.

He said cables and poles supplying communities and streets were often damaged when electricity was restored, resulting in explosions and prolonged outages.

“Many a time, you will be passing by, and then you see some of these transformers on fire,” he said.

Also speaking, Ayuba Wabba, immediate past president of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the International Trade Union Confederation, said Nigeria needed stable and cost-effective electricity.

He said reliable power supply was necessary to create decent jobs for the country’s teeming youths.

Mr Wabba said the recent addition of more than 600 megawatts was long overdue.

He added that the 6,000 MW promised before the end of 2026 was still inadequate for a population of more than 220 million people.

“Many of our labour-intensive industries like Nigerian Breweries are running on alternative sources of energy.

“This has made our products more expensive when compared with imported goods,” he said.

Mr Wabba said the high cost of alternative energy had contributed to the closure of many industries.

“In Kano alone, it’s argued that over 500 industries have closed down,” he said.

He said many communities had protested inadequate power supply, adding that more needed to be done to provide electricity nationwide.

Ademola Adegoke, a former EKEDC staff member, said the inaugurated projects represented significant development in bulk power wheeling capacity.

According to him, the upgraded transmission infrastructure would have a greater impact if DisCos also upgraded their networks.

He urged DisCos to build more 33kV and 11kV injection substations, feeders and distribution substations to improve electricity supply.

Mr Adegoke said such system upgrades and network re-intensification projects should be implemented across the country for balanced growth and development.

Sunday Oduntan, managing director and chief executive officer of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, said the upgraded transmission substations were positive steps toward unlocking existing bottlenecks.

According to him, distribution companies had long been prepared to receive additional power.

(NAN)