In 2024, Nigeria faced a severe crisis in its national power grid, experiencing multiple collapses that caused widespread outages and heightened concerns about the country’s energy infrastructure. The incidents throughout the year exposed systemic weaknesses, prompting urgent calls for reform and investment in the sector.
The first major collapse occurred on February 4, 2024, leading to prolonged power outages across the nation. Distribution companies struggled to restore electricity, with the national grid provider citing technical faults as the primary cause. This event was soon followed by another collapse on March 28, which saw power restored in some areas within 24 hours, while others experienced extended outages. These incidents led to increased public pressure for reforms in grid management.
On April 15, the situation worsened with a third incident attributed to frequency imbalances within the system, further disrupting key cities and industrial zones. By mid-year, on July 16, the national grid experienced its fourth collapse, which severely affected critical sectors like healthcare and manufacturing. Public frustration mounted, and the grid provider acknowledged the severity of the situation, promising to reinforce contingency measures.
The instability continued, with a fifth collapse on August 5, followed by two significant disruptions in October—one on the 14th and a partial collapse the next day. These events highlighted the grid’s fragility, raising alarms about its ability to manage peak demand. By October 19, another disturbance occurred, causing partial outages but falling short of a complete collapse. While the fault was quickly rectified, the persistence of these issues underlined the vulnerabilities in the power distribution network.
Electricity consumers expressed their dissatisfaction, describing the recurring grid failures as an embarrassment for the nation. On a recent Saturday morning, the national grid collapsed around 8:16 AM, with power generation plummeting from a peak of 3,968 megawatts to just 47 megawatts within hours. Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu had previously stated that Nigeria aimed to achieve 6,000 megawatts of power generation by the end of the year, but the ongoing collapses threatened this target.
Consumers, particularly those on estimated billing, voiced their frustrations over paying for power that was not supplied. Princewill Okorie, Convener of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, criticized the quality of materials used in power infrastructure and questioned the regulatory bodies’ focus on distribution companies’ revenues over consumer rights. He highlighted that many consumers were effectively paying for darkness, burdened by inflated bills despite experiencing constant outages.
In response to the grid collapse, NERC attributed the recent failure to an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station. They acknowledged the increasing frequency of grid disturbances, which have reversed many gains made in reducing infrastructure deficits and improving grid stability. The commission noted that restoration efforts were underway and had achieved significant progress by early afternoon.
Adelabu suggested that creating multiple regional power grids could help mitigate the frequency of such collapses, acknowledging the deplorable state of the country’s power infrastructure. He argued that having independent grids in different regions would ensure stability and reduce reliance on the fragile national system.
The series of collapses in 2024 has reignited debates on the urgent need for significant investment in Nigeria’s energy infrastructure. With each incident, businesses, industries, and households have suffered from the instability, prompting calls for long-term solutions. The federal government, in collaboration with stakeholders in the energy sector, has promised reforms, including investments in renewable energy and decentralized power systems to alleviate the burden of the current crisis.
The timeline of grid failures throughout 2024 intensifies the critical need for comprehensive action to prevent future disruptions and enhance the reliability of Nigeria’s power supply. The ongoing challenges serve as a reminder of the importance of a robust and well-maintained energy infrastructure for the nation’s development.
SOURCES
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/thenationonlineng.net/a-timeline-of-nigerias-national-grid-collapses-in-2024/amp/
- https://punchng.com/multiple-national-grid-collapses-threaten-ministers-6000mw-pledge/?amp
