Nigeria faced yet another setback in its power sector as the nation’s power grid experienced its sixth collapse of 2024 on Monday. The collapse, which occurred early in the morning, saw electricity generation plummet from 2,583.77 megawatts to a mere 64.7MW before restoration efforts commenced later in the day.
Attributing the grid collapse to a fire incident, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) highlighted the ongoing challenges of gas shortage and infrastructure vandalism plaguing the power sector. These issues, compounded by a liquidity crisis, have continued to hinder sustainable electricity generation despite Nigeria’s average production of 4,000MW.
Data from the Independent System Operator revealed that only one electricity generation company, Ibom Power, was operational during the collapse. The situation worsened as power generation dipped to 44.5MW before gradually recovering.
The Jos Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the grid collapse, acknowledging the resultant outage across its franchise states. Similar disruptions were reported by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, which announced a total system collapse in the South-East region.
Emphasizing the impact on economic activities, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company appealed for patience from customers while awaiting restoration efforts from TCN.
This incident underscores the recurrent challenges facing Nigeria’s power sector, with grid collapses becoming a frequent occurrence. Previous collapses in February and March 2024 were also attributed to infrastructure challenges and system disturbances.
In response, TCN assured the public of its commitment to strengthening the grid infrastructure to prevent future disruptions. However, the persistent nature of these incidents highlights the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to address the systemic issues plaguing Nigeria’s power sector.
