Nigeria is on course to add 150 megawatts (MW) to its national grid before the end of 2024, according to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.

Adelabu made this announcement on Thursday while addressing State House Correspondents after a closed-door meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He attributed the planned upgrade to the successful pilot phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).

“We have completed approximately 80% of the pilot phase of this project, which includes the importation, installation, and commissioning of 10 power transformers and 10 mobile substations,” the minister said. “These have been imported, installed, and most of them commissioned. Only two remain to be commissioned, and this will be done before the end of the year.”

Adelabu added that the pilot phase has already increased the national transmission grid’s capacity by 750MW, contributing to the relative stability recently observed in the grid.

He stated, “Before the year ends, we expect to add an additional 150MW to the grid upon completion of the pilot phase.”

The minister’s assurances come against the backdrop of a recent national grid collapse – the twelfth this year – which left millions of homes without power.

Experts have often blamed ageing infrastructure and other systemic issues for the frequent grid failures. However, Adelabu assured Nigerians of significant improvements ahead.

“When we complete Phase One of this project, the national grid will be fundamentally transformed,” he said. “This grid is old, fragile, and deteriorating. We need a complete overhaul to ensure long-term stability.”