By Femi Oyelola
Nigerians in different parts of the country have been intermittently thrown into total blackout at different times as the national grid continues to suffer systems collapses.
Data from the Nigerian system operator’s portal revealed that the national grid recorded zero megawatts (MW) as of 9:10 a.m. last Saturday, marking the third collapse within a week. This year alone, the national grid has collapsed eight times, with the first failure recorded on February 4.
Subsequent collapses occurred on March 28, April 15, July 6, and August 5. Nigerians also faced blackouts on October 14 and October 15. On May 1, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported a significant reduction in the frequency of system collapses.
According to TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah, grid disturbances have decreased by 76.47 percent over the last five years.
However, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, have attributed the frequent grid failures to outdated infrastructure. He emphasized that investing in power infrastructure is key to preventing future collapses. Adelabu also advocated for decentralizing the power sector, suggesting that establishing multiple regional and state grids would prevent widespread outages when a disturbance occurs at the national grid.
The minister further explained that Nigeria’s reliance on a single national grid means that any disturbance affects all 36 states.
He noted that the new Electricity Act had decentralized power, enabling state and local governments to participate in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
When the TCN and distribution companies were battling to restart the National grid, major parts of the Northern parts of the country, especially Kaduna Kebbi and Zamfar, were plugged into darkness as a result of vandals damaging the Towers T133 and T136 along 330kv Shiroro – Kaduna line 1&2.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced through its General Manager Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, few days ago that two towers along its 330kV Shiroro–Kaduna transmission lines one and two have been vandalized, damaging parts of both transmission lines.
According to reports from the Shiroro Regional office of TCN, the 330KV transmission line one tripped first, followed shortly by the second, as efforts were still ongoing to reclose the first line, prompting the urgent mobilization of local vigilantes to patrol the lines. This led to the discovery of two damaged towers, towers T133 and tower T 136, with their cables badly damaged at several points.
TCN, however, assured that arrangements are in top gear to deploy the newly procured “emergency restoration system” to the site, pending the reconstruction of the damaged towers. TCN has also conducted an aerial survey in collaboration with security operatives, given the area’s vulnerability to banditry, which poses a significant threat to both TCN installations and personnel.
“In the interim, our engineers have implemented a temporary measure to supply bulk power to the Kaduna and Kano regions via the 330kV Kaduna – Jo’s transmission line.
“The vandalized Shiroro – Kaduna 330kV lines 1&2 are vital lines through which bulk power is transmitted to parts of the North West region, with each line capable of carrying 600MW.
“The vandalism of the towers and transmission lines presents a significant challenge to bulk power transmission in that axis. We are, however, committed to re-erecting the towers and restringing the transmission lines to restore bulk power transmission through both 330kV power transmission lines.”
While Nigerians await the quick restoration of power, the Head of Corporate Communication of Kaduna Electric Distribution Company Abdulazeez Abdullahi, also recently informd consumers in its franchise states of the tripping on the Ugwuaji–Makurdi 330kV Line 2, which is one of the reasons for the prolonged outage in Kaduna.
The tripped line, according to him, has been the backup source of bulk power supply to Kaduna after vandals damaged towers of the 330kV Shiroro-Mando transmission line.
Reacting to this, Acting Executive Director of Legal Awareness for Nigeria Women ( LAWN), Mrs Hanatu Ahuwan, lamented that this is the eighth time in 2024 that Nigerians are experiencing the collapse of the Nigerian national power grid.
She stressed that it no longer comes as shocking news as it has occurred too many times, “so we have lost confidence in the capability of the Federal Ministry of Power to be on top of the situation to ensure the smooth running of the national grid.”
Nigerians, in her words, “are already frustrated with so many things not going well in the country, then this is dumped on them.
“So many things are dependent on a constant supply of power, and lack of electricity affects so many businesses, especially small SMEs.
“It is not a small matter to turn to the use of petrol and diesel to substitute electricity. How much will you spend and how much will you make?
“As the government has failed in the supply of portable drinking water for homes, electricity is needed to pump water from boreholes that people have supplied for themselves, even if you won’t use it for other things. What about hospitals?
“How many can afford to run generators for the whole day? I assure you surgeries have been postponed because of this and you can imagine how many lives have been lost.
“Why is it so difficult for us as a country to get things right? What expertise do we lack? Or is it a lack of political will? Is there an intentional sabotage? Look at the billions pumped into the Power Sector yearly.
“What are they used for? Are routine checks carried out as they should? Are parts replaced when due or only when they pack up? So many questions to ask as the national grid collapses every few weeks.
“Very soon, the majority of Nigerians would provide power for themselves through the so many alternatives like solar and biogas, etc, which may contribute to environmental pollution. It’s just unfortunate that the poor masses are left with no options for helping themselves,” she said.
A concerned Citizen, Luke Seth Kuyet, opined that the series of blackouts come amid an economic downturn and a sharp rise in fuel prices, which has doubled transportation costs and placed additional strain on Nigerians already grappling with inflation.
He observed that the lack of sufficient and reliable power supply is exacerbating the economic hardship, with far-reaching consequences for households, businesses, and essential services.
Kuyet stressed that the immediate impact of the blackout is being felt across all sectors, but the economic and health sectors are particularly vulnerable.
“Businesses, both large and small, that rely on electricity have been brought to a halt. With interrupted supply chains and productivity losses, industries are facing massive economic setbacks. Small businesses, already struggling to survive, are finding themselves in dire situations.
“Those that depend solely on electricity are left with two undesirable options: resorting to generators, which significantly increases the cost of production, or shutting down operations entirely, hoping for a resolution.
“The healthcare sector is also severely impacted. Hospitals and medical facilities, which depend on continuous power for life-saving equipment, refrigeration of medicines, and emergency services, are now at risk. Power outages in critical units such as intensive care, neonatal care, and emergency rooms could cost lives if alternative power sources fail to meet demand.
“Nigeria’s power infrastructure, which relies on a single national grid to supply electricity to all 36 states, has proven inadequate and unreliable. A grid collapse affects the entire country, underscoring the need for a more resilient and decentralized power system.
“The introduction of regional or state grids could help mitigate the widespread impact of these collapses, ensuring that when one part of the grid fails, the entire country does not go dark.
“As the nation continues to face these power challenges, frustration among citizens is mounting. The potential for social unrest grows with each passing day without power, as people demand solutions to the deepening energy crisis.” Kuyet concluded
Corroborating this assertions, the 4th National President, Campaign for Democracy Comrade Bako Abdul Usman, said the persistent collapse of Nigeria’s National Power Grid had brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerians, with some states left in darkness for over a week.
This situation has severely impacted every aspect of life, from economic activities to healthcare, education, and even the basic comfort of living. It is an alarming crisis that requires urgent intervention, particularly from the key players in the power sector—the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the various distribution companies (DisCos).
According to him failures of the national grid highlight deep-rooted challenges within the country’s power infrastructure, which continues to fail the people it is meant to serve. For there to be a sustainable solution, it is important to understand the roles of both the Transmission Company and the Distribution Companies and how they can work together to address this national issue.
“Solving the issue of grid collapse requires an integrated approach involving the TCN, DisCos, and other stakeholders. These organizations must work together to ensure that there is continuous investment in infrastructure, effective management of the grid, and a focus on customer engagement and efficiency.
“The Federal Government, regulators, and private sector actors must prioritize the revitalization of Nigeria’s power infrastructure as a national emergency. Only through a coordinated, long-term plan underpinned by proper investment can we hope to bring an end to the frequent grid collapses and bring sustainable power supply to all Nigerians.
“As the 4th National President of the Campaign for Democracy, I call on all stakeholders to rise to the challenge of fixing the national power grid crisis. Every Nigerian has a right to uninterrupted power supply, and together, we can make this a reality,” he advised.
Also reacting to the development, the Deputy Executive Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Leo Atakpu observed that year in, year out, decade after decade, Nigerians keep hearing this story, yet, they claim to have a government in place
Mr. Atakpu explained that Governments have been coming in; they will spend eight years and make all kinds of promises, spending billions of dollars to keep the electricity infrastructure both for generation, distribution, and transmission.
He added that a huge amount of money has been invested to keep the electricity running, but nothing is working, and why? Because of corruption.
“There’s corruption everywhere, it has destroyed every segment of the society.
“People go in there; they are happy that they are elected ministers of power because it is an opportunity for them to steal for their families, friends, and generations to come.
“That is the reality now, otherwise, why should there not be 24/7 electricity in this Country? With all the Hydro Electricity dams that we have and all the sun that can generate new energy, here we are, darkness everywhere.
“Then they tell you that they want to ration electricity in the small quantity that they can keep despite all the billions invested.
“We need a government with the political will to investigate all transactions; those who stole money in the power sector and those who sell the equipment and pocket the money need to be investigated,” he stressed.
