TCN FIRES BACK: “TRANSMISSION IS NOT NIGERIA’S POWER BOTTLENECK” — GRID READY TO WHEEL 8,700MW
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Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz |
“The journey to reliable electricity in Nigeria is not a sprint; it is a structured, long-term national project requiring sustained commitment, well-sequenced investment and clear-eyed governance.” Engr. Abdulaziz.
..... Says "TCN remains committed to building a stronger and more resilient national grid capable of supporting economic growth and industrial development."
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has pushed back against claims that transmission constraints are responsible for the country’s electricity challenges, declaring that the national grid has the capacity to deliver far more power than has ever been generated.
According to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, "Nigeria’s transmission network currently has the capacity to wheel 8,700 megawatts (MW), insisting that the system has consistently evacuated every megawatt made available by power generators."
Abdullaziz made this known while speaking at the four-day Parliamentary and Stakeholders’ Engagement Summit on Power Sector Reforms in Lagos.
He said available industry records show that transmission infrastructure is not the major obstacle to improved electricity supply.
The TCN Chief Executive noted that, while Nigeria’s installed generation capacity stands at 13,625MW, the highest power ever generated and delivered to the national grid was 5,801.84MW, achieved on March 4, 2025.
“The transmission network has consistently wheeled every megawatt made available to it. Our grid has the capacity and our operators have the competence. The transmission network of Nigeria is ready,” he said.
Engr Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz disclosed that the company had expanded the nation’s bulk power transmission capacity from about 7,000MW to 8,700MW through infrastructure upgrades and strategic investments supported by the Federal Government and development partners.
He added that the same day Nigeria recorded its highest generation peak, the country also achieved a record daily energy delivery of 128,370.75 megawatt-hours (MWh), the highest in its history.
Abdulaziz highlighted major improvements recorded by TCN between January 2024 and November 2025, including the commissioning of 82 power transformers that added about 8,500 megavolt-amperes (MVA) of transformation capacity to the national grid.
He listed upgraded and completed substations across the country, including Ajah, Egbin, Enugu New Haven, Onitsha, Gombe, Kano Kumbotso, Apo, Jos, Benin and Bauchi, as part of efforts to strengthen electricity transmission.
According to him, TCN has also attracted more than $1.4 billion in development financing from global partners, including the World Bank, African Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and Agence Française de Développement, to support transmission projects nationwide.
The company is also deploying a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to modernise grid management through real-time monitoring, quicker fault detection and improved power flow control.
However, Abdulaziz identified vandalism, right-of-way encroachments, funding challenges, foreign exchange pressures, land acquisition issues and poor coordination among power sector players as major obstacles slowing progress.
He called on the National Assembly to strengthen laws protecting critical electricity infrastructure, establish a uniform right-of-way framework and support full implementation of the Electricity Act 2023.
The TCN boss urged coordinated investments across the entire electricity value chain — including generation, gas supply, transmission and distribution — to enable Nigeria to fully harness its power potential.
“The journey to reliable electricity in Nigeria is not a sprint; it is a structured, long-term national project requiring sustained commitment, well-sequenced investment and clear-eyed governance,” Abdulaziz said.
He assured Nigerians that TCN remains committed to building a stronger and more resilient national grid capable of supporting economic growth and industrial development.
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