FG Approves East, West Super Grids To Hit 19,000MW Power Capacity

​ABUJA — The Federal Government has greenlit the commencement of procurement for the long-awaited East and West Super Grids, a strategic move designed to overhaul Nigeria’s power transmission infrastructure and boost wheeling capacity from roughly 5,000 megawatts to 19,000MW over the next two years.

​The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, made the disclosure while briefing State House correspondents following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

​According to the Minister, the initiative seeks to resolve a persistent contradiction in Nigeria’s energy architecture: while the country boasts over 13,000MW of available generation capacity, the fragile transmission network can reliably wheel only about 5,000MW.

​“The East and West Super Grids are not projects for one part of the country,” Tegbe stated. “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 noted that the corridors would reinforce transmission links stretching from Sokoto through Abuja and down into southern regions.

​Targeted Interventions and Infrastructure Upgrades

​Beyond the overarching super grid projects, the Federal Executive Council approved three immediate interventions targeted at Abuja and the Lagos axis—Nigeria’s foremost electricity demand hubs:

• ​Katampe Hub Reinforcement: Installation of a 33kV double-circuit underground and overhead line linked to the Katampe Transmission Substation, a pivotal North-Central node.

• ​Ikeja West Boost: Design, manufacture, and supply of three 300MVA, 330/132/33kV transformers for the Ikeja West Transmission Substation serving Lagos.
• ​Lagos–Shagamu Upgrade: Reconstruction and capacity expansion of the 35.6-kilometer Itumola–Mapasin–Shagamu 132kV single-circuit line into a double-circuit corridor.

​Tegbe acknowledged that these heavy-duty transformers must be sourced internationally due to current domestic manufacturing limits, noting that global supply chains face heightened demand pressures from artificial intelligence data centers.

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​Tackling Sector Debt and Stranded Equipment

​Addressing liquidity challenges that have long plagued the power value chain, Tegbe revealed that the Federal Government has cleared N1.23 trillion out of the N3.3 trillion historical debt owed to gas suppliers and generation companies (GenCos). The payments were executed via bonds under the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme to restore investor confidence and secure steady gas feedstock.

​In a move to clear long-standing bureaucratic bottlenecks, President Tinubu has ordered the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Nigeria Customs Service to immediately clear over 300 containers of vital electricity infrastructure stranded at the ports for periods ranging between 14 and 20 years. Usable equipment will be deployed following technical inspections, while obsolete parts are slated for disposal.

​Furthermore, the administration has commenced construction on a modern National Control Centre in Osogbo to replace the existing 64-year-old facility, alongside a nationwide technical audit spanning three primary energy zones to eliminate systemic vulnerabilities and optimize future investments.