On Tuesday, Nigerians were plunged into darkness following another collapse of the national power grid, marking the 10th incident of such this year. Within one week in October, the grid failed three times, resulting in widespread blackouts and public frustration.
Reports confirmed that the grid lost power generation around 1:50 pm. At 12:00 pm, power output was recorded at 3,631 megawatts, dropping to 2,711MW by 1:00 pm. By 2:00 pm, generation had completely halted, with all 22 power generation plants connected to the grid losing supply.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) acknowledged the event, explaining that the grid experienced a partial disturbance due to a series of line and generator trippings that destabilized the system. Ndidi Mbah, TCN spokesperson, stated, “Engineers are currently working to restore bulk power supply to affected states. Restoration began in Abuja at 2:49 pm and is progressing to other areas.”
Electricity distribution companies also informed customers about the disruptions. Ikeja DisCo notified its clients of the system outage, reassuring them of ongoing efforts with relevant stakeholders to restore power. Similarly, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company posted that a grid failure caused the outage affecting its coverage areas and that work was ongoing to stabilize the grid.
Ibadan DisCo confirmed outages in Oyo, Ibadan, Ogun, Kwara, and Osun regions. Partial supply had been restored to Osun, Kwara, and Ogun, while efforts to restore power in Oyo and Ibadan continued.
Power outages were observed across the country, including in the north and the southeast. Damaturu in Yobe State and its surroundings reported widespread blackouts as power from the Gombe substation was disrupted. A staff member at the Damaturu PHCN District office, speaking anonymously, said they were awaiting updates from Gombe on the cause of the failure.
The Jos Electricity Distribution Company reported that Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, and Benue States were affected, noting that the blackout stemmed from a loss of power supply from the national grid at 1:52 pm. This disruption occurred only days after transmission lines were repaired following previous damage.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) confirmed the collapse, stating it resulted in a total loss of supply across its network in Enugu, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo States. The Mainpower Electricity Distribution Limited echoed this, informing customers that supply disruptions were due to the collapse.
Despite substantial investment and financial aid from the Federal Government and international agencies to revamp the power sector, Nigeria continues to grapple with recurrent grid failures. Records indicate that the grid collapsed 93 times during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and has suffered multiple incidents under President Bola Tinubu.
Analyst Adeolu Taiwo pointed out that a thorough technical assessment of recent collapses is lacking, despite some incidents being linked to vandalism. He emphasized that a detailed examination of network issues is essential to determine the underlying technical causes.
Princewill Okorie, Convener of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, expressed concern over consumers paying for electricity during outages, especially those charged through estimated billing. He questioned the quality of materials used in grid construction and called for more focus on consumer rights, particularly metering.
Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu highlighted the need for regional power grids to enhance stability, noting that the existing infrastructure is in a deplorable state and prone to failures.
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