The Federal Government has unveiled plans to construct modular solar power plants generating a total of 1,900 megawatts across the 19 northern states, as part of a broader strategy to expand the national grid and promote renewable energy.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced this during the sixth edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series in Abuja. He also revealed the government's target to achieve 8,000MW of electricity generation and distribution by the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first term in 2027.
Each of the planned solar plants will generate 100MW, enhancing energy independence at the state level and reducing over-reliance on the national grid. Adelabu stressed that the initiative is a response to repeated grid disruptions in the North, largely due to vandalism. A key incident occurred in October when vandals destroyed the Shiroro-Kaduna 330kV power line, leading to prolonged blackouts in 17 northern states.
To boost power infrastructure, the government is partnering with private firms, including Sun Africa Energy, which plans to inject 1,000MW of solar energy into the grid, and Skipper Energy, which will install 100MW modular plants across all 19 northern states.
Adelabu highlighted that Nigeria's abundant sunlight offers an untapped potential for utility-scale solar power generation. He emphasized ongoing high-level discussions with both companies and noted that the country's grid currently relies primarily on gas and hydro sources.
Since taking office in August 2023, Adelabu said power generation has risen from 4,100MW to a steady 5,800MW—an increase of over 40%. He compared this to the historical pace, pointing out that from 1984 to 2022, Nigeria only managed to move from 2,000MW to 4,000MW. With current momentum and private investment, the minister expressed confidence in achieving the 8,000MW goal by 2027.
To support grid expansion, the government is inviting private sector participation, especially as funding remains a challenge. Adelabu noted that while the grid is fully government-owned, ministries are competing for limited resources. Private investors are being sought to fund new transmission lines, substations, and transformers in collaboration with the Nigerian Independent System Operator.
Highlighting achievements, Adelabu said the national grid's operational capacity has been strengthened under Tinubu’s administration, thanks to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which commissioned 61 new transformers totaling 5,589 MVA in 2024, with nine more added in early 2025 across cities like Lagos, Benin, Bauchi, Oshogbo, Kano, and Kaduna.
He added that TCN now has N25 billion allocated in the 2025 budget to complete over 100 ongoing projects. The Presidential Power Initiative, managed by the FGN Power Company, also delivered infrastructure across 13 locations, adding 700MW to the grid.
Adelabu noted a major improvement in grid stability, with no major collapse recorded in the first four months of 2025. Nigeria’s grid can now handle 8,700MW, up from a previous cap of 5,000MW.
Currently, around 150 million Nigerians have access to electricity, while 80 million remain underserved. The minister emphasized that the focus should now be on stability and affordability.
He also revealed plans to regionalize the national grid, with supergrid projects under development to isolate grid failures and improve efficiency across zones.
Meanwhile, the long-abandoned Kaduna Power Plant, a 215MW project, is now 87% complete and expected to become operational by the end of 2025. Initially awarded in 2009 to GE and Rockson Engineering, the plant was neglected for six years before the current administration revived it. Adelabu said President Tinubu personally approved its completion following his inspection.
With these initiatives, the Federal Government aims to improve generation, stabilize the grid, and extend reliable electricity access to all Nigerians.
