•3,000km of fibre optic laid, World Bank pledges support
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The federal government through the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday carried out a demonstration of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system being built in partnership with the World Bank to help stabilise the national electricity grid.
Stabilising Nigeria’s fragile national power grid, which has experienced about half a dozen collapses and disturbances in 2024, remains a major concern for stakeholders in the power supply chain.
But while in the past there had been efforts to ensure reliability of the system, obsolete SCADA and telecommunication infrastructure had hindered effective service delivery within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Therefore, the database has struggled to accommodate the ever-expanding network, while vandalism of optic fibre further exacerbated the situation, leaving only very limited coverage of the grid.
To bridge this gap comprehensively, TCN secured financing from the World Bank through the Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project (NETAP), involving the modernisation of TCN’s control infrastructure and ensuring efficient grid management.
Speaking at the demonstration event in Gwagwalada, Abuja, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, stated that the initiative represented not just a technological upgrade, but symbolised government’s commitment to enhancing the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of power supply.
“Today, we are ushering in a new era in the management and operation of the national grid. The SCADA system will empower us with real-time monitoring and control capabilities that are crucial for quick decision making and effective management of the grid.
“By implementing this advanced technology, we are taking a bold step towards addressing some of the issues holding the sector down. The SCADA system will enable us to monitor the entire electricity network from a centralised location, thereby ensuring that we can respond promptly to outages, manage loads efficiently and optimise the overall performance of our power systems.
“With features such as automated data collection, fault detection and remote-controlled operations, we are laying the groundwork for a more resilient and responsive power sector,” Adelabu, who was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Nosike, said.
The initiative, he said, aligned with the government’s broader vision of achieving energy security and expanding access to electricity for all Nigerians, which is the primary objective of the Nigerian Electricity Transmission Access Project (NETAP).
“The introduction of SCADA is part of our strategic efforts to modernise our power infrastructure and implement smart grid technologies. As we strive to provide reliable electricity, we are also creating an environment conducive to private sector investment, innovation and development in the energy market,” he added.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the TCN, Dr Abdulaziz Sule, stated that it was common knowledge that previously deployed SCADA projects had not achieved the intended objectives.
For that reason, he stated that at the start of the project implementation, TCN’s management set up a team of senior staff to look into the reasons of the challenges of previous attempts with the aim of avoiding those mistakes this time around.
While lauding the stakeholders, especially contractors that were ensuring strict adherence to international standards and best practices, he said their doggedness and determination to push the project despite the challenges faced during the execution had been unprecedented.
“All these efforts have culminated in the following progress of work: Manufacture and shipping of all the automation, telecommunication, Control Centre equipment and other auxiliary equipment.
“Offshore training of 135 technical staff on the operation and maintenance of the SCADA and telecommunications equipment. Deployment of over 3000km of Fibre Optic Cable on transmission line routes out of about 5400km earmarked for the project.
“Supply and installation of SCADA and Telecommunication equipment in over 100 transmission substations nationwide. Reactivation and reintegration of existing equipment in the network,” he said.
Also speaking, a World Bank representative, Bunu Bukar, expressed that bank’s excitement over the project, describing it as history in the making.
“As we speak right now, the project is actually due to close in December, but we are in discussion to see how to extend it by additional six months. And this is to accommodate the delays that we are having currently, as we speak, with the implementation of this project.
“ So, we will come to you (power ministry) at various times to seek your support and to see that we get all the necessary approvals, all the funding that is required.
“For the bank, we’ll definitely go ahead and make the required supports that we need to do by extending the project,” Bukar added.
