Blackouts: Minister speaks on solutions as Nigeria’s power grid collapses again

*Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Minister for Power, reportedly explains the national grid collapses result from limited electricity infrastructure, stressing the need for increased investments by having ‘multiple power grids in different regions, or states’ to end the incessant grid shutdowns with attendant socio-economic dislocations for Nigerian energy consumers

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Following the collapse of the national grid for the third time within a week, Nigerian energy consumers have been into darkness across the country again.

ConsumerConnect reports the country’s grid collapse occurred early Saturday, October 19, 2024, with many states reporting total blackouts.

The grid collapse is said to be the third this week, marking the eighth grid disturbance in this year.

It is recalled that on February 4, 2024, Nigeria experienced its first blackout this year, when the national grid collapsed at approximately 11:51a.m.

Other instances of national grid collapse as well occurred March 28, April 15, July 6, and August 5 this year, according to report.

The TCN-managed grid saw its capacity plummet from 2,407 megawatts to just 31MW by noon, and it completely shut down by 1 p.m., according to report.

Data obtained from the Nigerian System Operator’s portal (niggrid.org), also indicated that the national grid recorded an unprecedented zero Megawatts (MW) as of 8:16 a.m. Saturday.

The information also showed that all 22 Electricity Generation Companies (GenCos) are down as of the time of filing this report.

On blackstart and grid recovery process

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has yet to confirm the latest incident as of early Saturday, October 19.

However, during the first shut down experienced earlier this week, Ndidi Mbah, General Manager, Public Affairs of TCN, had affirmed the development in a statement Tuesday.

Mbah acknowledged that the national grid actually experienced a partial disturbance at about 6:48 p.m.

“Although the recovery of the grid commenced immediately, with Azura power station providing the blackstart, grid recovery reached advanced stages at about 10.24 a.m., today (Tuesday), when it encountered a challenge that caused a slight setback in the recovery process.

“The slight setback notwithstanding,” Mbah said TCN had “continued with the grid recovery process, which has reached an advanced stage, ensuring bulk power availability to about 90% of its substations nationwide.”

The power transmission company noted that supply had been restored to the Abuja axis and other major distribution load centres nationwide then.

The top official of TCN equally disclosed that partial disturbance did not affect the Ibom Gas generating station, which was islanded from the grid Monday, and the continued to supply areas in the South-Southern part of the country, including Eket, Ekim, Uyo, and Itu 132kV transmission Substations during the period.

According to Mbah, investigation into the cause of the seventh national grid collapse would be carried out as soon as the grid is fully restored.

Nonetheless, before the expected probe of the cause of the last incident could happen, TCN reported the third incident within the week.

Why national grid collapses ‘almost inevitable’: Minister Adelabu

Reacting to the national grid incidents in a row within the week, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Honourable Minister for Power, reportedly said at an event that the grid collapses were “almost inevitable” in Nigeria, in regard to the deplorable state of the country’s power infrastructure.

Adelabu reportedly noted that there is a need to have power grids in different regions, or states to put an end to incessant grid collapses.

The Minister reportedly noted this development Wednesday, October 16, 2024, when unveiling Hexing Livoltek, an electricity metre manufacturing company in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

According to Adelabu, having multiple power grids in each region and state would ensure stability.

He explained the decentralisation of the power sector would help the plan to build grids in each geopolitical region of Nigeria.

He stated having multiple power grids is made possible and practicable by the Electricity Act, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law 2023.

The Minister said: “This Electricity Act has decentralised power.

“It has enabled all the subnational governments, the state government and the local government, to be able to participate in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.”

Adelabu also affirmed the current situation, saying, “We all rely on a single national grid today.

“If there is a disturbance of the national grid, it affects all 36 states. It shouldn’t be like that.

“This will enable us to start moving gradually towards having regional groups and possibly having state grids.”

He further noted: “And each of these grids will be removed and shielded from each other. “So, if there’s a problem with a particular grid, only the state where it belongs will be affected, not the entire nation.

“This is one of the impacts this Electricity Act will have.”

As regards the latest national grid collapse with attendant blackouts, Minister Adelabu restated that the situation would be inevitable without sufficient investment in the power sector of the Nigerian economy.

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