The national electricity grid suffered a partial collapse, plunging several parts of Nigeria into darkness. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) reported a system failure that disrupted power supply to its customers in the afternoon. By the evening, some areas were still without electricity.
The AEDC acknowledged the issue in a statement: “We understand that some of our customers are still without power due to a system failure from the national grid at 2:55 pm today. Please be assured that the system is gradually stabilizing, and we are working diligently with all relevant stakeholders to restore power to the affected areas as quickly as possible.”
The spokesperson for the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Ndidi Mbah, had yet to provide further details at the time of this report. Power generation saw a significant drop, falling from 3,749 megawatts at 2 pm to 1,255 MW by 3 pm, and later recovering to 3,000 MW by 8 pm. The Egbin Power Plant, which was generating 222 MW until 2 pm, reported zero output for the rest of the day.
This incident marks the fifth time in 2024 that the national grid has collapsed, leading to widespread power outages.
Princewill Okorie, Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, expressed frustration over the recurring grid failures despite increased electricity tariffs. He criticized the sector’s focus on revenue collection rather than improving system stability and questioned the government’s commitment to addressing the issue.
“What are the causes of these grid failures or collapses? Are the materials used in building the grid of good quality and standard? Who is managing the grid? The players in the sector are more interested in collecting money from consumers rather than making the system stable,” Okorie said.
He added, “The unmetered customers will still be made to pay for darkness. That is injustice. The government should address this issue of grid collapse once and for all.”
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