National grid collapse: No plan to privatise Transmission Company, says FG

Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, in Abuja yesterday, said the Federal Government will not sell the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

With a dark reputation for reoccurring grid collapse, TCN is a critical power sector segment linking the privatised generation companies with the partially privatised distribution companies.

Being the main channel through which electricity is wheeled to the nation, the performance of the company determines what becomes of the Nigerian electricity sector.

But speaking on behalf of his principal, Special Adviser to Aliyu on Media, Isa Sanusi, said there is no plan to privatise TCN.

He said: “The Federal Government has no intention to sell or privatise TCN and no one in the Federal Government has made a statement of intent on selling TCN.”

He said TCN is central to the government’s efforts to rejuvenate the power sector, adding that the government is rather working with key stakeholders to evaluate, assess and upgrade TCN, to make it more efficient and transparent.

As part of repositioning TCN, Aliyu said job opportunities are being created, as evidenced in the recently concluded ramp-up of employment, contrary to claims that there is a plan for mass disengagement at the company.

He said the organisation has also been carrying out sustained capacity building by training and retraining staff across all cadres for efficiency and service delivery.

He said: “Transmission is a vital segment of the electricity value chain that constantly needs significant investment. As is the best practice across the world, the government of Nigeria maintains the transmission segment of the power value chain, even when other segments have been privatised.

“Currently, the Federal Government is investing and supporting efforts to make TCN a world-class transmission service provider.

“The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, is focusing on upgrading, stabilising and modernising Nigeria’s power industry through various interventions, including the Nigeria-Siemens partnership, under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).”