Nigeria restores electricity grid, resolves nationwide blackouts ─Minister

*Abubakar Aliyu, Minister for Power, discloses the Federal Government has recovered the grid, and it is trying to get more megawatts to push on the national grid to improve power supply across the West African country  

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Following the recent collapse of the national power grid for the umpteenth time, the Federal Government says it has resolved the power outages being experienced across the country in recent weeks.

Abubakar Aliyu, Honourable Minister for Power, disclosed this development Wednesday, March 16, 2022, while briefing State House Correspondents after the week’s virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice-President (Prof.) Yemi Osinbajo, in Abuja, FCT.

The Minister stated: “We have recovered the grid now. The grid is back and we are trying to get more megawatts to push on the grid. We have set up small committees all geared towards getting more megawatts to put on the grid.

“The current challenges of electricity supply in Nigeria are being resolved with the ongoing restoration of normal operations.

“Early in the week, the national grid suffered a decrease in electricity due to so many factors. However, more of the power is being restored.”

Aliyu alo said: “The current energy crisis confronting some key sectors of the economy also contributed to the problems we are facing now in the power sector.

“We are where we are today also because of the increasing vandalisation of pipelines that also supply gas to the power plants.

“This too is being resolved in collaboration with the relevant agencies. NNPC and other gas suppliers are working relentlessly to restore gas supply for optimum power supply.”

The Minister for Power further noted: “The government is doing everything — working with the relevant security agencies — to stop the vandalisation of pipelines.

“Routine maintenance of power generating plants had also contributed to the current power outages we are experiencing.

 

“These challenges do not in any way indicate that the ongoing rehabilitation of the national grid by the government is not yielding results.”

He added that “despite all the challenges, we are recording successes and the grid is being restored back to full operation.

“Government solicits the support of all Nigerians at this time, while efforts will continue to increase and stabilise the electricity supply across Nigeria.

Earlier, the Federal Government had blamed pipeline vandalisation, grid collapses among other challenges as causes of the recurrent nationwide blackouts.

The national grid collapsed, once again, on Tuesday, barely 48 hours after an earlier crash caused a nationwide power outage on Monday.

Tuesday’s incident was the reportedly the second crash of the national grid in 48 hours.

Confirming the development on its Twitter page Tuesday, March 15, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) said that the system collapse occurred on the national grid at 5.10p.m.

The DisCo had tweeted: “Dear esteemed customers, we would like to inform you of another system collapse on the National Grid which occurred at 5:10 p.m. today.

“We are monitoring the situation and will continue to provide updates. Once again we apologise for the inconvenience.”

Likewise, Enugu Electricity Distribution PLC (EEDC) as well informed its customers of the development.

Notifying it customers of “another system collapse”, the distribution company said, “The Enugu Electricity Distribution PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform her esteemed customers of another system collapse which occurred at 5.10 p.m. this evening, Tuesday, 15th March, 2022.”

In the company’s Notice Of Another System Collapse, also stated that “EEDC wishes to inform her esteemed customers of another system collapse which occurred at 5.10p.m. this evening, Tuesday, 15th March, 2022. —Enugu Electricity Distribution Plc. (@enugudisco) March 15, 2022.

Electricity consumers have been complained of constant power outages in several parts of the country in the past few weeks.

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