By Opeoluwa Ademola
Nigeria’s electricity sector continues to grapple with a longstanding paradox: despite producing significant amounts of power, the supply reaching homes and businesses remains unreliable.
Analysts increasingly contend that the crisis is less about technology and more about economics, a mix of weak tariff structures, poor revenue recovery, and persistent policy uncertainty that keeps the national grid fragile.
Energy analyst Khalil Woli, who has gained first-hand experience in Nigeria’s transmission networks, believes that understanding this financial dimension is key to solving the country’s power problem.
“Even the most efficient power plants cannot deliver consistent electricity if the transmission system is underfunded or poorly managed,” he said. “The grid is only as strong as the economic and policy frameworks that support it.”
Drawing from his time with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Woli highlights how well-structured investments in transmission infrastructure can expand access for underserved regions.
He was part of the team involved in commissioning a 330kV transmission line and a high-capacity transformer, projects aimed at boosting grid stability and connectivity. “Commissioning isn’t only a technical task,” he explained.
“It ensures the infrastructure can handle operational stress and integrate seamlessly with the national grid.” He also points to the growing role of technological modernisation, particularly the adoption of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, which allow operators to monitor the grid in real time.
“SCADA transforms data into actionable insights,” Woli noted. “It enables faster fault detection, reduces downtime, and prevents cascading system collapses that can cripple supply.”
Yet, according to Woli, no amount of technology can offset the sector’s financial imbalance. He describes tariff misalignments and revenue collection inefficiencies as chronic obstacles to progress.
“If tariffs do not reflect the real cost of maintaining and expanding the grid, investment will always lag behind demand,” he said. “Strong engineering alone cannot solve the problem. Sound financial planning and policy clarity are essential to sustain the system.”
For Woli, effective transmission investments are more than infrastructure projects; they are instruments of social and economic change. “When a line goes live and thousands of people gain electricity for the first time, it shows how finance, policy, and engineering must work together,” he reflected.
“Each connection represents both an improvement in quality of life and an opportunity for local enterprise.” As Nigeria strives to stabilise its grid and expand access, Woli’s perspective reinforces a growing consensus among experts: technical capacity is not the country’s limitation.
The real challenge lies in building a transparent, predictable, and financially sustainable energy framework. Strengthening these foundations, he argues, is essential not only for lighting homes but for powering industries and enabling inclusive growth.