An expert in the power sector, Kunle Olubiyo, says upgrading transmission infrastructure will help prevent the country’s frequent grid collapses.

Mr Olubiyo, president of the Nigerian Consumer Protection Network, said this in an interview in Abuja on Friday.

He described most of the transmission infrastructure used in the country as obsolete, adding that the government needed to look at the issue.

“Government needs to take a look at this and it is quite sad that we have not been able to do more than 5,800 megawatts because of grid constraints.

“I think the government needs to do a lot as there would have been more collapses but the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has been able to manage it,” he said.

In a public notice, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) informed its customers of a system failure.

The company said the current power outage was due to a system failure from the national grid.

It said the system collapsed at about 4:28 p.m. on Thursday, causing the outage currently being experienced across our franchise area.

The company appealed to its customers as they were working hard to restore normal supply.

Meanwhile, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company has said that a minimal power supply was restored to some customers on its platform.

“We have been able to receive some power supply, though minimal, from the grid. Presently, Agbara, Ojo, Akangba, Ajah, Lekki and Alagbon Transmission Stations are on supply,” the electricity firm said on its official X handle on Friday.

In a related development, the Transmission Company of Nigeria announced that power supply was restored to Port Harcourt 132kV Line 2 in Rivers.

TCN spokesman Ndidi Mbah disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.