At exactly 11:29 a.m., most power distribution firms across Nigeria sent notifications to their customers regarding a system outage on November 7, 2024, marking the 10th time the national grid has collapsed this year.
The collapse once again plunged the entire country into darkness. This ongoing issue highlights a severe gap in power generation, with Nigeria producing less than 5,000 megawatts for over 200 million people, compared to South Africa, which, with a population of under 65 million, generates at least 40,000 megawatts.
DisCos, including Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED), and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), confirmed the collapse.
Below is a list of grid collapses from February 4, 2024, when the first collapse of the year occurred, to date:
1) Sunday, February 4, 2024 (Total collapse)
2) Thursday, March 28, 2024 (Total collapse)
3) Monday, April 15, 2024 (Total collapse)
4) Saturday, July 16, 2024 (Total collapse)
5) Monday, August 5, 2024 (Total collapse)
6) Monday, October 14, 2024 (Total collapse)
7) Tuesday, October 15, 2024 (Partial collapse)
8) Saturday, October 19, 2024 (Disturbance)
9) Tuesday, November 5, 2024 (Disturbance)
10) Thursday, November 7, 2024 (Setback/collapse)
The frequency of these incidents indicates a significant management failure within Nigeria’s energy sector. It also suggests potential sabotage, with Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu constituting a committee to unravel the cause.
At the time of publication, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had yet to release an official statement on the steps it is taking to address this troubling situation.
