The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has announced the formation of a forensic investigative committee aimed at addressing the ongoing issues of grid collapses in Nigeria.

The announcement follows recent disturbances to the national grid, which caused blackouts in several regions of the country twice within the past week.

In a statement from his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu expressed concern over the incidents, which he stated could undermine the significant progress made in the power sector over the past year.

This includes achieving a record electricity generation of 5,527 megawatts, the highest in three years.

The committee is tasked with providing recommendations to enhance the robustness and reliability of the national grid, alongside existing initiatives such as the Presidential Power Initiatives and the Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project.

Its mandate includes investigating the root causes of the recent grid failures and reviewing the possibility of sabotage.

The Minister also indicated that a technical team has been dispatched to assess critical nodes in the national grid to identify vulnerabilities and propose solutions to prevent future disruptions.

Adelabu clarified that the recent grid issues were primarily disturbances rather than outright collapses.

He detailed that on October 14, there was a partial collapse due to a line trip at the Jebba Transmission Substation, with further restoration efforts resulting in setbacks.

He noted that what was reported as a grid collapse on October 19 was actually a protective shutdown following an explosion at the Jebba transformer, attributed to ageing equipment.

The six-member committee comprises key figures from various sectors, including the Executive Director of the Independent System Operator, the Commissioner of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and other industry leaders.

They are expected to deliver their findings to the minister by November 1, 2024.