ELECTRICITY: How substandard electrical materials cause frequent national grid collapse in Nigeria – EFCC
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has identified corrupt practices among contractors as a significant factor contributing to the frequent collapses of Nigeria’s national electricity grid.
The EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, emphasized that these contractors often supply substandard electrical materials instead of adhering to the required specifications for quality equipment. This practice not only undermines the integrity of the power infrastructure but also leads to frequent equipment failures and outages.
According to investigations conducted by the EFCC, many contractors awarded contracts in the power sector have opted for cheaper, lower-quality materials.
For instance, instead of using materials that meet the necessary standards—such as 9.0 gauge wire—they have been found to use inferior 5.0 gauge wire.
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This choice results in increased instances of equipment malfunction, which directly contributes to the instability of the national grid. The EFCC has reported that there have been ten significant collapses of the national grid within a single year, causing widespread blackouts across various regions, particularly affecting no fewer than 17 Northern states.
The EFCC has also pointed out that this issue is symptomatic of broader problems within Nigeria’s infrastructure development framework.
Over the past two decades, capital project implementation in Nigeria has reportedly fallen below 20%. This lack of effective execution hampers infrastructural growth and development across various sectors, including energy. The commission’s findings suggest that without addressing these corrupt practices and improving project execution rates, Nigeria will struggle to achieve meaningful progress in its infrastructure.
In light of these findings, Olukoyede called for enhanced collaboration between the EFCC and legislative bodies like the National Assembly to improve oversight and accountability in public projects. He stressed that achieving at least 50% execution of capital projects could significantly enhance Nigeria’s infrastructural landscape if corruption is effectively tackled.
The anti-graft agency, which also lamented poor implementation and execution of capital projects in the country, explained that Nigeria could not achieve infrastructural or any form of growth under such conditions.
The grid has recorded 10 collapses this year, plunging the entire country into darkness. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has blamed the trend on obsolete power infrastructure.
