Nigeria experienced a significant disruption to its national grid on Monday, resulting in a drastic decline in power generation from 4,032.8 megawatts at 1 pm to a mere 43.5MW by 2 pm.
Data from the Transmission Company of Nigeria revealed a subsequent recovery, with electricity levels reaching 115.4MW at 3 pm and further increasing to 240.9MW at 4 pm on the same day.
The upward trajectory continued, with power generation reaching 544.9MW at 5 pm as TCN worked diligently to restore the national grid throughout Monday afternoon into the evening.
Addressing the situation, Ndidi Mbah, the spokesperson for the transmission company, acknowledged the grid collapse but promptly assured that TCN engineers successfully restored the system.
“The grid experienced a collapse today (Monday). Presently, it (supply) has been restored except for the Jos axis, which will soon have supply within the hour. The collapse happened by 13.49pm this afternoon. It is now fully restored by 18.51pm,”[/b] she stated.
Nigeria’s power grid witnessed series of collapses in September this year, as power consumers lambasted the managers of the system for the incessant crash of the grid.
On September 20, 2023, The PUNCH reported Nigeria witnessed another round of widespread blackout across the country the preceding day as the national power grid collapsed again, making it the third grid collapse in about five days during that period.
The report had showed that power generation on the grid crashed from a peak of 3,594.60 megawatts at midnight to 42.7MW by midday of September 19, 2023.
It was eaeluwereported in the same month of September that the Federal Government explained that the nationwide blackout witnessed was due to a fire incident and an explosion on the Kainji/Jebba 330kV line 2.
Power consumers, however, kicked against the never-ending excuses of the government as regards power generation and supply in Nigeria, despite privatising the generation and distribution arms of the sector since November 2013.
But the Nigerian Power Consumers Forum condemned the spate of disturbances on the national electricity grid and the fire incidents around power transmission infrastructure.
NPCF’s Convener, Michael Okoh, had raised the concern in a statement issued in Abuja.
“From independent assessment which started last year and up to this year, the forum was able to confirm the various initiatives TCN deployed to stabilise the grid including the use of Internet of Things and the deployment of the stop gap system as a placeholder for a smart grid system,” Okoh had stated.
