Nigeria’s national power grid has experienced multiple collapses in recent weeks,
leading to widespread blackouts across the country. On November 5, 2024, the grid
suffered its tenth collapse of the year, plunging major cities like Abuja, Lagos, and Kano
into darkness.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) attributed the latest incident to a “partial
disturbance” caused by a series of line and generator trippings that destabilized the
grid. Efforts to restore power began promptly, with some regions regaining electricity
within hours.
This recent collapse follows a series of outages in October 2024, where the grid failed
three times within a single week. A transformer explosion at the Jebba Transmission
Substation was identified as the cause of one such collapse.
The frequent grid failures highlight persistent challenges in Nigeria’s power sector,
including aging infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, and insufficient investment.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria generates only about 4,000 megawatts
of electricity daily for its over 210 million residents, far below the estimated demand of
30,000 megawatts.
In response to these challenges, the Nigerian government has initiated reforms aimed
at improving power supply. These include allowing state governments to build their own
power plants to reduce reliance on the national grid.
However, the effectiveness of these measures remains to be seen, as the nation
continues to grapple with frequent power outages that disrupt daily life and economic
activities.
Addressing Nigeria’s power grid issues requires comprehensive strategies focused on
modernizing infrastructure, enhancing maintenance protocols, and securing adequate
funding. Without such interventions, the cycle of grid collapses and blackouts is likely to
persist, hindering the country’s development and the well-being of its citizens.
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