The national grid on Tuesday suffered yet another collapse, plunging the country back into darkness.
This latest incident underscores the ongoing instability of the grid, with concerns about its frequency and the impact on the country’s energy supply.
In an official statement, TCN reported, “The national grid experienced a partial disturbance at about 1:52 pm today, 5th November 2024.” The collapse, the company explained, followed a sequence of line and generator trippings that destabilized the system, ultimately resulting in a partial outage. “The data from the National Control Centre (NCC) revealed that a part of the grid was not affected by the bulk power disruption.”
Restoration efforts are underway as TCN engineers work to quickly restore electricity across the affected states.
“Presently, bulk power supply has been restored to Abuja, at 2:49 pm, and we are gradually restoring to other parts of the country,” the TCN statement continued.
Apologizing for the inconvenience, the company reassured consumers of its commitment to stabilizing the power supply.
This is Nigeria’s second blackout this year, with the first recorded on February 4, 2024. That incident saw the grid’s output plunge from 2,407 megawatts down to just 31 MW by noon, before a complete shutdown by 1 pm.
The frequency of these grid collapses has heightened concerns, with many questioning the durability of Nigeria’s aging infrastructure.
In October, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu addressed the root causes, emphasizing that such collapses are “almost inevitable” given the current state of the national grid.
He underscored the urgent need for decentralization, proposing a shift toward regional and state-level power grids to enhance resilience.
This plan for multiple localized grids is supported by the new Electricity Act, signed by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, aimed at empowering regions to better manage and distribute power independently.
The House of Representatives has also stepped in, mandating its Committee on Power to investigate these recurring failures.
This ongoing parliamentary probe reflects the growing demand for a long-term solution to Nigeria’s power challenges.
