Key points
- The Federal Government is accelerating grid modernisation, renewable energy integration and strategic partnerships to improve electricity supply.
- The government says digital technologies, smart grids and private sector participation are central to ongoing power sector reforms.
- Energy experts are advocating interconnected mini grids and smart distribution networks to expand electricity access.
- Industry stakeholders are calling for greater collaboration, local innovation and stronger engineering capacity.
Main story
The Federal Government says it is intensifying grid modernisation, renewable energy integration and strategic partnerships to improve electricity access, strengthen supply and accelerate power sector reforms nationwide.
The Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, represented by the Director of Renewable and Rural Power Access, Dr Sunday Owolabi, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 16th Distinguished Engineering Award Lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) in Lagos.
Speaking at the lecture, titled “Interconnectivity Strategy for Distributed Generation in Multi-Community Mini Grids with Adaptive Grid Integration Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Tegbe said the government was deploying digital technologies, smart grid solutions and increased private sector participation to modernise the national electricity grid.
He described distributed generation as a practical approach to improving grid stability while expanding electricity access to underserved communities.
The minister stressed that government alone could not deliver the required transformation of the power sector, calling for stronger collaboration among government agencies, academia, professional bodies, development partners and private investors.
Delivering the keynote lecture, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Protogy Global Services Ltd., Mr Isaac Agoro, urged Nigeria to prioritise interconnected mini grids and smart distribution networks to accelerate electricity access.
Agoro said improving electricity distribution should take precedence over expanding costly transmission infrastructure.
“We cannot talk about interconnectivity without a smart distribution grid,” he said.
He explained that interconnected mini grids would enable neighbouring communities to share electricity, improve supply reliability and reduce infrastructure costs.
According to him, Nigeria’s electricity challenges stem more from engineering limitations than the absence of technology.
Agoro called for stronger collaboration among government, universities and industry to develop indigenous technologies tailored to Nigeria’s electricity needs.
He also advocated improved engineering standards and better technical data for electricity planning, equipment design and system integration.
To encourage innovation, Agoro announced a N10 million endowment to support engineering research into practical solutions to the country’s energy challenges.
Earlier, the President of NIEEE, Dr Felix Adegboye, said the implementation of the Electricity Act had created new opportunities for decentralised power solutions.
He described interconnected mini grids as a practical solution to addressing energy poverty by connecting neighbouring communities and integrating with the national grid.
Also speaking, the President of the Chartered Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of Nigeria, Mr Kings Adeyemi, said the growing number of electricity prosumers was reshaping the country’s power sector.
He called for stronger professional certification and capacity development to prepare engineers for emerging technologies and decentralised electricity systems.
The issues
Nigeria is pursuing electricity sector reforms that combine grid modernisation with decentralised energy solutions to improve electricity access, strengthen system reliability and attract greater private sector investment.
What’s being said
“Government alone cannot deliver the desired transformation of the power sector.” — Mr Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power
What’s next
The government is expected to continue deploying smart grid technologies, expanding renewable energy integration and promoting interconnected mini grids as part of broader electricity sector reforms.
Bottom line
Nigeria’s power sector reforms are increasingly focusing on modern grids, decentralised electricity systems and stronger public-private collaboration to improve electricity access and reliability nationwide
