Electricity Being Restored Across Nigeria Following Widespread Grid Failure

Nigeria recently endured a widespread power outage lasting approximately 10 hours, as the nation’s electrical grid faced a crippling collapse caused by a fire, according to reports from both authorities and the country’s electricity distribution companies.

This grid failure has become an unfortunate recurring issue in recent years, and the most recent incident, occurring on Thursday, impacted all of Nigeria’s 36 states as well as the capital city, Abuja, before the restoration of electricity service across much of the nation.

The root of this crisis stemmed from a fire that erupted in one of the country’s power plants, leading to substantial drops in electrical frequency and triggering the grid failure early on Thursday.

Adebayo Adebulu, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, conveyed these developments through X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “The fire has been fully contained, and more than half of the connections have been reestablished, with the remainder set to be fully restored shortly.”

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), responsible for supplying power to the southeastern region of Nigeria, issued an official statement announcing a “total system” collapse, which severely impacted their ability to provide service to their customers, as stated by company spokesperson Emeka Ezeh.

Power generation plummeted to zero during the early hours of Thursday but had recovered to 273 megawatts (MW) by 10:30 GMT, a stark contrast to the daily average of 4,100MW, as reported by data from the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

Various electricity distribution companies, including the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, which serves parts of northern Nigeria, expressed their commitment to restoring power as soon as the national grid was back in operation.

The unreliability of grid power supply in Nigeria, a nation known for its significant oil and gas production, has compelled households and businesses to rely on diesel and petrol generators.

However, the cost of petrol and diesel has surged this year following the government’s decision to end long-standing subsidies, leaving many struggling to secure alternative sources of power.

In 2022, Nigeria experienced at least four instances of grid collapse, which authorities attributed to technical issues. Despite having an installed capacity of 12,500MW, the country currently produces only a fraction of that amount.

President Bola Tinubu has pledged to enhance the power supply situation by permitting state governments to establish their own power plants, a move aimed at revitalizing the sluggish economic growth of the nation.