Nigeria’s electrical energy community suffered its first system collapse of the 12 months on Friday morning, throwing giant elements of the nation into darkness and as soon as once more exposing the fragility of the nation’s energy infrastructure.
Info monitored by THE POINT confirmed that the nationwide grid went down at about 11:40 a.m. Nigerian time. A test of the nationwide distribution load profile round 1 p.m. indicated that every one electrical energy distribution firms, together with these serving Abuja, Eko, Benin, Enugu, Ibadan, Jos, Kano, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Yola — recorded zero load.
The failure got here shortly after robust demand had been reported in main cities, with Abuja Electrical energy Distribution Firm taking 639 megawatts and Ikeja Electrical receiving 630 megawatts earlier than the system collapsed.
The Transmission Firm of Nigeria, which manages the grid, has but to elucidate what triggered the outage. Though restoration work has begun, there was no clear indication of when full provide could be restored, and officers couldn’t be reached instantly for remark.
This newest disruption continues a sample of instability that characterised Nigeria’s energy sector all through 2024, when the grid broke down 9 occasions. These repeated failures affected companies, well being amenities and households throughout the nation of greater than 200 million individuals, a lot of whom already endure common electrical energy shortages even when the grid is functioning.
Whereas most elements of the nation had been plunged into darkness, Aba in Abia State remained unaffected. The town of about 900,000 residents operates outdoors the nationwide grid, counting on Geometric Energy’s 188-megawatt plant and a privately run distribution system fitted with good meters. The association has ensured regular energy provide within the metropolis regardless of repeated nationwide outages.
The distinction between Aba’s steady electrical energy and the broader grid’s recurring breakdowns has renewed strain on the federal government to fast-track decentralisation within the energy sector.
Nigeria at present produces solely a small share of the electrical energy required by its inhabitants and financial system. Even at peak efficiency, era normally ranges between 4,000 and 5,000 megawatts — far beneath the estimated 30,000 megawatts wanted nationwide. In consequence, many firms and prosperous households depend upon diesel and petrol mills, elevating prices and worsening air pollution.
Though the sector was partially privatised greater than a decade in the past, with personal corporations dealing with era and distribution, transmission stays beneath authorities management by means of TCN.
Critics argue that the transmission community is the weakest a part of the system, pointing to outdated tools, poor upkeep and years of underinvestment as main contributors to the grid’s frequent failures.