Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Tegbe, the projects are designed to strengthen the national electricity grid, improve its resilience and ensure more power reaches homes, businesses and industries across the country.
He explained that although Nigeria has more than 13,000MW of available electricity generation capacity, the existing transmission network can reliably transmit only about 5,000MW.
“The East and West Super Grids are not projects for one part of the country. They cut across the north and south of Nigeria, strengthening the backbone that must carry power from where it is generated to where it is needed,” he said.
Tegbe added that the proposed infrastructure would address the gap between electricity generation and transmission, reduce grid instability and improve supply to consumers.
“The target is simple. We want a grid that can evacuate the power we already have, not one that leaves generation stranded while consumers remain in darkness,” he stated.
The minister said the transmission corridors would strengthen connections from Sokoto through Abuja and other locations into parts of southern Nigeria.
Beyond the proposed super grids, the Federal Executive Council approved three immediate interventions targeting electricity supply in Abuja and the Lagos axis.
The first project involves the construction of a 33kV double-circuit underground and overhead line connected to the Katampe Transmission Substation, a major electricity distribution hub serving the North-Central region.
The second covers the design, manufacture and supply of three 300MVA, 330/132/33kV transformers for the Ikeja West Transmission Substation in Lagos.
The third project involves the reconstruction and upgrading of the 35.6-kilometre Itumola–Mapasin–Shagamu 132kV single-circuit transmission line into a double-circuit line to accommodate rising electricity demand along the Lagos–Shagamu corridor.
“These are not glamorous projects, but they are the projects that determine whether power actually gets to the consumer,” Tegbe said.
He explained that the high-capacity transformers would be manufactured abroad because Nigeria currently lacks the capacity to produce equipment of that specification.
While some companies have begun assembling transformers locally, he said the production of large-scale units requires specialised manufacturing facilities. Production could take between three and six months, with global demand increasing due to the expansion of artificial intelligence and data centres.
Tegbe also announced that the Ministry of Power had commenced a nationwide technical audit to identify ageing and weak electricity infrastructure requiring replacement or rehabilitation.
The exercise, which had been ongoing for four weeks as of Wednesday, covers three major energy zones: Lagos and its industrial corridor; Abuja–Kaduna–Kano; and Enugu–Onitsha–Benin.
According to the minister, the audit would help the government identify critical infrastructure gaps and direct investments towards areas where they would have the greatest impact.
“We will no longer spend money on the wrong projects. The audit will show us exactly where the system is failing and where investment will deliver measurable impact,” he said.
He identified the Lagos–Ogun, Benin–Edo–Port Harcourt and Abuja–Kaduna–Kano corridors as key priorities, noting that the Lagos–Ogun corridor alone accounts for about half of national electricity demand.
On the financial challenges facing the electricity industry, Tegbe disclosed that the Federal Government had paid ₦1.23 trillion out of the ₦3.3 trillion owed to gas suppliers and other stakeholders in the power sector.
He said the outstanding liabilities had constrained gas supplies to electricity generation companies and undermined confidence across the electricity value chain.
“We have paid ₦1.23 trillion, and we intend to finish the job. But we must also stop new debts from accumulating,” the minister stated.
He explained that the payment was made through bonds under the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme, which aims to improve liquidity for generation companies, support gas supply and restore investor confidence.
Tegbe added that the government was reviewing the electricity market structure to strengthen payment discipline and prevent fresh arrears from accumulating.
The minister further revealed that President Tinubu had directed the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigeria Customs Service to facilitate the clearance of more than 300 containers of electricity equipment stranded at the nation’s ports.
Some of the containers have reportedly remained uncleared for between 14 and 20 years.
“It is unacceptable that equipment meant to strengthen the grid has been sitting at the ports for years. The President has directed that this must be resolved,” Tegbe said.
He attributed the backlog to previous administrations’ failure to settle outstanding charges and complete the necessary clearance procedures.
Following their release, technical experts will assess the equipment to determine which items remain serviceable and can be deployed. Materials deemed obsolete will be disposed of appropriately.
Tegbe also disclosed that construction had begun on a new National Control Centre in Osogbo to replace the existing facility, which he described as 64 years old.
He said the new centre would provide modern technology for monitoring and managing the national electricity grid.
The ministry is also working to operationalise completed transmission substations in Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Gombe and other locations.
In addition, the government is expanding solar mini-grid projects for institutions affected by limitations in the national transmission network.
According to Tegbe, 14 federal universities have received installed and energised mini-grids with capacities ranging from 1MW to 5MW, while another 11 institutions are receiving support through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
Five teaching hospitals are also benefiting from solar power installations being implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health.
The minister said the administration would continue to prioritise grid stability, infrastructure rehabilitation, improved financial liquidity and investment in renewable energy.
“Our goal is not just to announce projects. It is to build a power system that Nigerians can depend on,” he said.
