The president-elect, Nigerian Academy of Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, has urged the regionalisation of the national grid as a solution to frequent power outages caused by grid collapses.

The Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Designs, on Thursday, while delivering the 12th convocation lecture of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, titled The Optimum Utilization of Nigeria’s Energy Resources for the Sustainable Growth and Development of the Nation, said that the recent power outage in 17 states of the nation, caused by the damage of transmission towers in one state by bandits, should not be allowed to happen in the future.

As a step towards the regionalisation of the national grid, Sambo suggested that states establish state-wide grids as a foundation for developing their electricity markets, as provided by the Electricity Act 2023.

“All state grids can operate independently such that faults in one state will not affect other states,” he said, adding that all state grids should be interconnected with the grids of contiguous states.

According to him, dispatchable power plants should also be available in states at strategic points along the National Grid, since renewable energy power plants and small modular reactors have been found to be effective dispatchable power plants.

“The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), which TCN says is only 70% completed and which enables real-time monitoring and control of the grid, allowing operators to detect faults, manage loads effectively, and respond to issues swiftly, should be completed as quickly as possible,” he said.

Sambo also called for the institution of effective security monitoring of energy infrastructure, “such that cameras and sensors can effectively send out signals before damages or theft of energy supply components occur,” he said.

Noting that the provision of adequate and reliable energy supply with an expanded energy mix will ensure a high level of security of supply in line with the nation’s energy demand and supply projections, he described the step as a panacea for sustainable development of the country.

“Securing energy infrastructure from vandalization, by terrorists and thieves, is a necessary measure to avoid disruption in energy supplies. The very recent inauguration of the Council for Securing National Critical Infrastructure by the Federal Government is a move in the right direction.

“The local production of power plant components like transformers, solar modules, and their balance-of-system components, including inverters, deep-cycle rechargeable batteries, and charge controllers, along the lines of what NASENI and a few others have started, should be supported and expanded to cater to the nation’s needs and to key into the AfCFTA initiative for export to other nations in the long term.

“With the Petroleum Industry Act coming into effect in 2021 and the more recent Electricity Act 2023, the coast is clear for the optimal use of the nation’s conventional and renewable energy resources to provide for the socio-economic growth of the nation in general and to specifically cater to the large energy needs of large-scale agriculture and agro-allied industries.

“This would also secure large-scale open-cast and underground mines, mineral processing plants, and several manufacturing industries in areas where the nation has comparative advantages.

“Several tourism sites with facilities of international standards will also be guaranteed,” he added.

“Providing energy for agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and tourism will enable the generation of revenue other than the revenue from the sale of oil and gas and ensure that Nigeria does not slip into economic recession whenever a pandemic like COVID-19 occurs.

“The National Action Plan on EVs, produced by the NADDC, should be approved and implemented. In the same vein, there is a need for the local production of electric vehicles in the country.

“There is a need to ensure that the energy supply is based on the nation’s Energy Transition Plan, which is rooted in Nigeria’s commitment to the Net-Zero carbon emission pledge by 2060 and reflects the nation’s Nationally Determined Contributions for abating climate change, but in line with its Just Energy Transition Policy (JETP).

“It is necessary for the JETP to actively embrace all the low-carbon energy systems of renewable energy sources and nuclear power. Net Zero is not Absolute Zero. This means if the nation can institute carbon capture techniques and establish forestry plantations, which are natural carbon sinks, the nation can continue using oil and gas even beyond 2060,” he said.

In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of KWASU, Prof. Shaykh Luqman Jimoh, said that the theme of the lecture was both timely and crucial, considering the vital role energy plays in shaping the socio-economic development of any nation.

The VC, who said that the university remained resolute in its mission to foster intellectual growth and contribute to national development, added that the lecture exemplified a commitment to addressing critical issues and proffering practical solutions through the power of knowledge.

Also, the chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Sheriff Sagaya, represented by Barrister Abdulfatah Salman, called on governments to always consider issues concerning youths, saying, “If youths are educated, the nation would be great.”

He also charged youths to prepare for life ahead of them and to utilize their youthful energy in productive ventures. “The future of Nigeria rests on you,” he told Nigerian youths, challenging them to see obstacles as a springboard. Alhaji Sagaya donated ₦10 million towards the development of the school.