FG restores Benin–Egbin power line, boosts electricity supply to Lagos

By Adebola Muili

The Federal Government has restored the vandalised Benin–Egbin 330kV transmission line, recovering a significant portion of electricity supply to Lagos and neighbouring states, while targeting the restoration of another major transmission line by the end of November to further improve power delivery to the region.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this during a television interview on TVC, explaining that the recent electricity disruption affecting Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and parts of Kwara State was not caused by a national grid collapse but by the simultaneous loss of two critical power infrastructure assets.

According to him, the Benin–Egbin transmission line, which ordinarily delivers between 300 and 400 megawatts to the Lagos electricity complex, was vandalised at a time when Egbin Power Station was undergoing scheduled maintenance, resulting in a combined loss of nearly 800 megawatts.

He said the development forced electricity operators to introduce load shedding across the affected areas, as the available supply could no longer meet the demand of consumers.

However, the minister said the government had activated emergency interventions to address the disruption and restore supply within the 48 to 72 hours earlier promised.

Giving an update on the intervention, Tegbe said the Benin–Egbin line had been restored, with electricity supply to the Lagos complex recovering significantly.

“As of yesterday, the Benin–Egbin line was restored. As of last night and this morning, the Lagos complex is receiving about 1,000 megawatts,” he said.

He also disclosed that one of the turbines at Egbin Power Station, ST1, had returned to operation, while another turbine, ST3, was expected to resume generation that evening, providing an additional 150 megawatts to the Lagos electricity complex.

Beyond the immediate restoration, the minister identified the rehabilitation of the Oshogbo–Ikeja West transmission line as a major priority in the government’s efforts to strengthen electricity supply to Lagos and the Ogun corridor.

He explained that the line, which has remained out of service for about 18 months following the vandalism of approximately six transmission towers, has the capacity to convey an additional 400 megawatts into Lagos when restored.

Tegbe said the government had prioritised the rehabilitation despite the difficult terrain, particularly swampy sections that have made access to the affected locations and repair works challenging.

He said the government was targeting the completion of the restoration by the end of November 2026, noting that bringing the line back into service would increase transmission capacity to the Lagos electricity corridor and reduce its vulnerability to disruptions.

The minister noted that four major transmission lines serve the Lagos electricity complex, but only three were operational at the time of the interview, making the restoration of the fourth line particularly important.

He also identified vandalism of electricity infrastructure as a major obstacle to improving power supply, warning that the destruction of transmission towers and other critical facilities continues to undermine investments aimed at stabilising electricity supply.

To tackle the problem, Tegbe disclosed that the Ministry of Power had established a joint task force involving the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Office of the National Security Adviser, Homeland Security and other security agencies.

He said the task force would identify vulnerable transmission corridors and strengthen surveillance through the possible deployment of drones and other modern monitoring technologies to prevent further attacks and facilitate prompt security responses.

According to him, the government is also engaging the National Assembly to strengthen the legal framework for prosecuting those responsible for the destruction of electricity infrastructure and ensure that offenders face appropriate penalties.

Tegbe appealed to Nigerians to support efforts to protect electricity installations, stressing that the destruction of even one transmission tower could disrupt power supply to thousands of households and businesses.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving electricity supply through the speedy restoration of damaged infrastructure, stronger coordination among relevant agencies and sustained investment across the electricity value chain.