The Managing Director and CEO of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, revealed that Nigeria provides 24-hour electricity to neighboring countries, including Togo and Benin, despite ongoing discussions regarding recent power grid failures in the country.
“We supply Togo, Benin, and Niger. They get power from Nigeria on a 24-hour basis, and they are paying for it,” Abdulaziz stated during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Tonight program.
When asked why many Nigerians do not experience uninterrupted power, he explained, “Nigerians are getting 24-hour supply, but it’s not everyone. Those in Band A receive 20-22 hours of power supply.”
Abdulaziz outlined that customers are categorized into three bands: Band A receives 20-24 hours, Band B gets 16-20 hours, and Band C has access to 12-16 hours of electricity each day.
Expressing optimism, Abdulaziz stated, “I am telling you we can get consistent power supply in less than five years. The new minister is looking at the problems; he is not doing cosmetic showdowns.”
He also clarified that system collapses do not solely originate from TCN, saying, “If there is a system collapse, it doesn’t mean all the problems are from TCN; it can be from generation, it can be from transmission, it can be from distribution. Some of these can also come from disaster. You cannot say it is the fault of the TCN just like that. TCN are in charge of managing the grid.”
Moreover, Abdulaziz emphasized the distinction between TCN and the now-defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).
“People have to understand the difference between the TCN and Nepa. When we were Nepa, we were the ones doing the generation, transmission, distribution and marketing. But now we are only doing one leg, which is transmission.”
“But there could be issues in all other sectors which are the generation and the distribution. But people only know Nepa and they think TCN is NEPA and they put the blame on TCN,” he explained.
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He highlighted infrastructure challenges, noting that much of the equipment used is outdated. “Most of the equipment we use is over 50 years old,” he lamented.
On the topic of electricity costs, Abdulaziz argued that electricity in Nigeria remains relatively affordable compared to other African countries. “Electricity is now expensive in Nigeria; we feel it is expensive because we are getting it at a cheaper price. If you go to other African countries, go to Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger; Nigeria is cheaper.”
Despite recent blackouts and a national grid collapse that occurred three times in one week, Abdulaziz assured that some Nigerians are enjoying a constant power supply, particularly those in Band A.
When asked why many Nigerians do not enjoy uninterrupted power, he responded, “Nigerians are getting 24-hour supply, but it’s not everyone. Those in Band A receive 20-22 hours of power supply.”
He explained that electricity distribution companies, known as DiScos, prioritize customers in Band A, who are expected to receive between 18 hours and 22 hours of electricity.
The frequent grid collapses have raised concerns, but Abdulaziz attributed them to aged infrastructure, stating that a backup system is in development.
“Presently, we are doing the scatter system for the whole network and it is funded by the World Bank, and the project will take two years to be completed, and now, we have done 70% of the project,” he said, adding that the completion of the scatter system will help reduce the frequency of system disturbances.
The TCN also noted that electricity tariffs have increased in recent months, with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) raising the cost for customers under Band A to N225 per kilowatt hour from N66.
