The national power grid in Nigeria has once again collapsed, leaving millions of citizens in darkness. This latest incident adds to a growing list of grid failures that have plagued the country in recent months, causing widespread frustration.
Several cases of collapse occurred in October, with the last occurring on Saturday, October 19, 2024, marking the eighth major outage this year, with three taking place in a single week. Despite repeated assurances from the Federal Government of a lasting solution, the persistence of these disruptions highlights the challenges facing Nigeria’s power sector.
In this recent case, power generation fell to zero across all generating companies as of 2:35 p.m. on November 5th, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Some days ago, the grid had experienced another breakdown due to a fire at the Jebba transmission station, as reported by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). TCN’s data reveal that the nation has recorded 105 instances of grid collapse to date.
The company’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, stated that over the past five years, Nigeria recorded 20 grid disturbances, including 14 total and six partial failures, representing a 76.47% reduction from the previous five-year period. However, the reduction has not alleviated the impact felt by citizens.
Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu attributed the recurring collapses to outdated infrastructure that urgently needs upgrading.
Similarly, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) expressed concern over the repeated failures, warning that these incidents risk reversing recent improvements in grid stability and infrastructure.
While TCN is yet to release an official cause for the latest collapse, the incident underscores the urgent need for a robust and sustainable overhaul of Nigeria’s power infrastructure to prevent further disruptions and restore confidence in the national grid.
