By Olusegun Olanrewaju
Yesterday, the national electricity grid collapsed for the second time in 24 hours, plunging millions of people into darkness.
This came after electricity distribution companies nationwide announced that the grid collapsed around 6:48 pm on Monday, resulting in the loss of power supply across their networks.
One of the operating concerns, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), which serves some parts of Lagos State, said on its X handle, “Dear valued customer, kindly be informed that there was a system collapse at 9.17 am, which resulted in a loss of power supply across our network.”
It added, “We are currently working with our partners as we hope for a speedy grid restoration. We will update you as soon as the power is restored. Kindly bear with us.”
In the same fashion, the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC) confirmed the fresh collapse and promised to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
It said, “Dear Esteemed Customers, We sincerely apologise for the power outage in our franchise states since yesterday evening. This is due to the collapse of the national grid, which occurred at about 6:05 pm on October 14.”
According to the Kaduna-based DisCo, “The team at the Transmission Company of Nigeria is making efforts to restore supply back to the grid, after which we shall restore it to customers across all our franchises. We deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused.”
However, the Abuja Disco announced that it was conducting a maintenance exercise in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It stated, “Dear valued customer, this is to inform customers in Arab Road, FO-1 Community, Dutse Makaranta, Kagini, Brick City Estate, Custom Quarters, SPDC Estate, Kabba, Mopol Barracks and Hospital, Mami Market, Angwan Fulani, Monkey Village, DSS Training School, Public Service College, Charley Boy Gate, Mab Global Estate, Ipent Estate and its environs that the Transmission Company of Nigeria will be conducting a maintenance exercise on the 33KV Dam feeder and the 33KV deidei feeder from 10 am to 6 pm on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
“We regret any inconvenience this may cause and assure you that this exercise is essential to ensure better service delivery. Thank you.”
*TCN says power restoration complete
Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said the ongoing restoration of the national grid, which collapsed on Monday, is ongoing and almost completed.
In a statement yesterday, the Public Affairs General Manager of TCN, Ndidi Mbah, said that the national grid experienced a partial disturbance on Monday, October 14, 2024, at about 6:48 pm.
The statement said that although the grid recovery commenced immediately, “with Azura power station providing the black start, grid recovery reached advanced stages at about 10.24 am today (Tuesday) when it encountered a challenge that caused a slight setback in the recovery process.
“The slight setback notwithstanding, Mbah said TCN continued with the grid recovery process, which has advanced, ensuring bulk power availability to about 90 per cent of its substations nationwide.”
According to the company, supply has been restored to the Abuja axis and other major distribution load centres nationwide.
Mbah added that the partial disturbance did not affect the Ibom Gas generating station, which was isolated from the grid yesterday. During the period, it continued to supply areas in the southern part of the country, such as the Eket, Ekim, Uyo, and Itu 132kV transmission Substations.
He further said that an investigation into the cause of the incident would be carried out as soon as the grid is fully restored.
The national grid has collapsed many times this year. The first and subsequent incidents were recorded on February 4, March 28, April 15, July 6, and August 5.
However, in April, Nafisat Ali, the Executive director of the TCN’s Independent System Operator (ISO) department, gave various reasons for Nigeria’s incessant grid collapse.
“The causes of grid collapse in Nigeria spread across all participants, from generation companies to transmission and distribution,” she told the Senate Committee on Power. “From generation companies, there is the inadequacy of gas supply, improper coordination of plants and gas pipelines, poor generation availability.”
*Nigeria shouldn’t be experiencing this kind of thing- Obi
Reacting to the latest collapse, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the latest collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, describing it as a national shame.
Obi’s outburst was after the grid collapsed twice in 24 hours.
In a statement yesterday on his X handle (formerly Twitter), Obi highlighted the incident as evidence of the failures in leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels.
He said, “For the umpteenth time, the national grid has collapsed, plunging a considerable part of the nation into darkness and exposing the fragility of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
“This recurring disaster is a national shame and a glaring testament to the failure of leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels.
“How long must Nigerians endure a system that fails to provide one of the critical necessities for a productive society? This latest power grid collapse is emblematic of a leadership and government that have consistently failed to prioritize the welfare and economic well-being of the people?” he queried.
Obi added, “We all know the immense importance of power supply to the transformation of our economy. Its support to SMEs, the engine of job creation and a significant contributor to our GDP, is immeasurable.
“Today, we are the fourth largest economy in Africa, having fallen from the number one position due to leadership failure over the years, including the persistent power crisis, which is critical compared to smaller economies.
“South Africa, which is now the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $400 billion and 30 per cent of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts of electricity.
“Secondly, Egypt, the second largest economy with a GDP of about $350 billion and half of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts.
“Algeria, the third largest economy, with about 300B GDP and 20% of our population, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts of electricity.
“Nigeria, with less GDP but with more population than the 3 countries combined, generates and distributes less than 10,000 megawatts, and even that is riddled with frequent collapses and crises of failure.
“This power generation disparity reflects the deep-rooted governance deficit that continues to hold back our growth and potential.”
