This landmark event occurred on Friday, February 14, 2025, at precisely 11:00 PM, surpassing the previous record of 5,478.73MW, which was set just a day earlier, on Thursday, February 13, 2025.

This milestone was disclosed in a statement issued by the management of the company on Wednesday.

The statement read,

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria is pleased to announce that the Nigerian Power Sector achieved a new peak generation of 5,543.20MW for the year 2025, On Friday, February 14, 2025, at 11:00 pm. This surpasses the previous peak of 5,478.73MW recorded on Thursday, February 13, 2025.”

In addition to the new peak generation, TCN also highlighted a significant achievement in energy distribution.

It added that the Maximum Daily Energy for the day reached an unprecedented 125,159.48MWH, breaking the previous record of 121,674.88MWH, set on February 7, 2025, by an impressive margin of 3,484.60MWH.

The company confirmed that it successfully transmitted this new peak generation and maximum daily energy to the country’s distribution companies, ensuring that the power is efficiently distributed to consumers across Nigeria.

This came as the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verheijen, stated during an interview with Arise News on Wednesday that the government is interested in moving most electricity consumers in Nigeria to Band A.

According to her, the government is planning to ensure that all customers are metered to know their consumption and improve cash flow to drive investments.

She emphasised that the current reforms are to make the sector more viable, favouring both the distribution companies and their customers.

“So, whether you’re a business, if you’re in an industrial cluster, you should see improved distribution capacity, improved reliability, and improved access. And that the Discos now have the capital and the cash flow to deploy more investment and infrastructure. So you should feel the difference in terms of service levels.

“The goal is that most customers in Nigeria become Band A customers, that is, they get over 20 hours of service. So you should be able to see that from these interventions,“ she stated.

Verheijen maintained that about 60 to 70 per cent of Nigeria’s gas goes to one sector, the power sector.

However, she said the gas companies have not been able to recover their funds from the power generation companies due to illiquidity in the power sector, saying “We need to diversify the uses of our gas. But you can’t diversify if the cash flows don’t work.”

On the distribution companies, she maintained that the privatisation of the power sector did not go through the rigorous exercise that could ensure that the people who bought the assets had the financial and technical capacity to make the investments that were required to drive reliability.

He was speaking during a budget defence session with the Senate Committee on Power, revealed that his administration inherited an average generation capacity of 4,100 megawatts (MW) in 2023 and raised it to 5,528 MW by the end of 2024.

“I can tell you authoritatively that by the end of 2024, we had a peak generation of 5,528 MW of power from 4,100 MW of plants. And the reason for this is not far-fetched. We know that we added a new hydroelectric power dam, Zungeru, of 700 MW, and also there was a tremendous increase in the generation by other existing power generating companies, mainly hydro and thermal plants,” Adelabu explained.

He noted that while the initial target was 6,000 MW, unforeseen challenges such as grid disturbances towards the end of the year prevented him from achieving it. However, he emphasised that the shortfall was minimal.

The minister also reported an increase in energy access, which rose by five per cent from 59 per cent at the end of 2023 to 64 per cent by the close of 2024.

This progress, according to Adelabu, resulted from a combination of grid access expansion and growth in renewable energy initiatives, including solar, small hydro and wind energy projects.

Despite these achievements, the minister expressed concerns about the metering gap in the country. He disclosed that approximately six million electricity customers are currently metered, while over seven million remain unmetered.

To address this issue, Adelabu revealed that the ministry had secured a N700 billion fund and plans to commence the procurement of meters in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.

He explained that the goal is to procure at least two million meters annually over the next five years, which he believes will completely eliminate the existing meter gap and eliminate any form of fraud in terms of electricity billing.

It declared this in a statement issued by Bolaji Tunji, the media aide to the power minister, adding that electricity distributors should ensure the distribution of the generated energy.

“The national grid on Monday hit a record high of 5,313MW, a record high in the last three years,” the statement disclosed.

Reacting to this, Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of Power, called on power distribution companies to take more energy to prevent grid collapse as the grid’s frequency drops when power is produced and not picked by the Discos.

He added that efforts would be made to encourage industries to purchase bulk energy.

However, a top official of one of the Discos was quoted as saying that the power companies were finding it difficult to pick the extra energy produced by generation companies because they were not happy with the tariff on other bands apart from Band A.

“As it is now, we are operating at a loss. Yes, they supply more power but this problem could be solved with improved tariff for the other bands and more meter penetration to recover the cost,” the Disco official, who pleaded not to be named due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, said.

On Saturday, the ministry said power generation that peaked at 5,170MW was ramped down by 1,400MW due to Discos’ energy rejection.

Similarly, power distributors that reject electricity allocated to them by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) shall be dealt with severely going forward.

Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, who disclosed these in Abuja before commencing a meeting with heads of agencies under his ministry, also disclosed that the Federal Government was subsidising the electricity bills of consumers nationwide by about 65 per cent.

“I am holding this meeting with all the directors in the Ministry of Power and the CEOs of our agencies in order to address the lingering crisis in the power sector,” Adelabu stated

According to him, what the country is witnessing currently with respect to power supply is not acceptable, adding that “the situation is getting worse, and in the last two, three weeks the level of power supply to Nigerians has not been good enough.”

Commenting on the performances of power distribution companies, the minister stated that the Discos would be dealt with severely for power load rejection.

He said, “We must address the issues of distribution, and I’ve said before now that the non-performance of Discos in terms of epileptic power supply qualifies as a basis for the revocation of licence.

“Any Disco that is found wanting will be severely dealt with; I’ve had discussions with the chairman of NERC. Their (Discos) actions or inactions directly affect the performance of the sector, and we must take it seriously.

“If we ramp up generation to 6,000MW as planned in three to six months, and ramp up our infrastructure in transmission to get power to the Discos within the next couple of days, if the Discos are not picking this power, it amounts to nothing.

“So the refusal to take up and supply power by the Discos is a qualified basis for the revocation of licence. Therefore the Discos should not frustrate our efforts in generation and transmission.”

The minister said he had discussed with NERC to come up with adequate performance measurement standards for Discos, stressing that laggards should be fished out and sanctioned.

“We should not be toothless bulldogs, barking and barking without biting. We should bite, for by the time we sanction two, three Discos heavily, others will sit up, and it will serve as a deterrent to others that we mean business.

“Their actions and inactions are causing us damage as a country. So they must know that it is no longer business as usual. We should have performance information, for example, last week, a number of the Discos did not pick up the power provided by TCN, throwing a number of communities into darkness,” he stated.

With a focus on both gas-based and diesel-based generation systems, Engineer Onuigbo emphasizes the importance of embracing cleaner and more efficient technologies to meet the growing energy demands of the future.

Gas-based power generation systems have emerged as a key player in the transition towards sustainable energy solutions.

Engineer Onuigbo notes, “Gas-fired systems offer a unique combination of efficiency, cost effectiveness and environmental responsibility. As we navigate the nuances of the modern energy landscape, it is imperative to prioritize solutions that not only meet our power needs but also minimize our ecological footprint.”

In similar context, Engineer Onuigbo recognized the role of diesel-based generation systems in certain scenarios. “In situations where off-grid or remote power generation is essential, diesel-based systems can play a crucial role.

This call for sustainable energy practices aligns with global efforts to mitigate climate change and transition to cleaner energy sources.

Engineer Kelechi Onuigbo emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach, stating;

“We must strike a balance between meeting our immediate energy requirements and ensuring a sustainable, eco-friendly future. Both gas and diesel-based systems can be optimized for efficiency and environmental responsibility, aligning with our collective commitment to a cleaner, greener planet.”

As the energy landscape evolves, Onuigbo encourages stakeholders, policymakers, and industry leaders to collaborate in advocating for technologies that contribute to a sustainable and resilient future.

Revolutionizing Power Generation: Kelechi Onuigbo Advocates for Hybrid Gas and Diesel Systems

Engineer Kelechi Onuigbo (Dr.), head of Power division at PPC Limited and a leading expert in the field of Power systems, underscores the critical need for a sustainable approach to power generation.

With a focus on both gas-based and diesel-based generation systems, Engineer Onuigbo emphasizes the importance of embracing cleaner and more efficient technologies to meet the growing energy demands of the future.

Gas-based power generation systems have emerged as a key player in the transition towards sustainable energy solutions.

Engineer Onuigbo notes, “Gas-fired systems offer a unique combination of efficiency, cost effectiveness and environmental responsibility. As we navigate the nuances of the modern energy landscape, it is imperative to prioritize solutions that not only meet our power needs but also minimize our ecological footprint.”

In similar context, Engineer Onuigbo recognized the role of diesel-based generation systems in certain scenarios. “In situations where off-grid or remote power generation is essential, diesel-based systems can play a crucial role.

This call for sustainable energy practices aligns with global efforts to mitigate climate change and transition to cleaner energy sources.

Engineer Kelechi Onuigbo emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach, stating,

“We must strike a balance between meeting our immediate energy requirements and ensuring a sustainable, eco-friendly future. Both gas and diesel-based systems can be optimized for efficiency and environmental responsibility, aligning with our collective commitment to a cleaner, greener planet.”

As the energy landscape evolves, Onuigbo encourages stakeholders, policymakers, and industry leaders to collaborate in advocating for technologies that contribute to a sustainable and resilient future.