Frequent failures of equipment in power system network - the Nigeria experience

Reliable and qualitative electricity is a sine qua non for modem day living. Customers of electric power utilities demand this as a right. Highest premium has therefore been placed on electric energy development in almost all the countries in the world, being fully aware of its\´ place as one of the greatest technological pivots in general infrastructural and human development. Incontrovertible facts show that in Nigeria, the power system network in operation is not good enough due to frequent failures of equipment traceable to sub-standard equipment being manufactured, purchased and installed thereby, making the power system network deteriorate and unstable. There is therefore an urgent need to avoid the enormous equipment in Nigeria and other networks in the regional African power pools from turning into scraps within a short period of use. This provides a herculean challenge to researchers, designers, manufacturers and assembly technologists/engineers towards elimination of equipment defects and failures in all power system networks. Considering her size and potential link to the regional power pools - west, north and south power pools, it becomes imperative to harry to the poor state of energy equipment on the Nigerian power system network. In the light of the above, this paper analyses equipment failures and their effects and elaborates the developmental consequences on one of Africa\´s "supposedly fast growing electric energy network" which exports power to Niger Republic. Plans are also on the pipeline for further energy export to Benin, Togo and Burkina Faso Republics under the west africa power pool. Possible ways of minimizing the effects of failing equipment in the system are also highlighted.