- Nigeria’s power grid collapsed for the fourth time in 24 days on November 5, 2024, causing a sharp drop in electricity generation and widespread disruptions.
- Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) attributed the collapse to a “partial disturbance” caused by tripped lines and generators, while electricity consumers continue to face unreliable service.
Efforts by Nigeria’s government and operators of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to stabilize the national power grid faced another setback as the grid collapsed for the fourth time in 24 days on November 5, 2024.
According to data from the National System Operator, the latest collapse began shortly before 1 p.m. when both Jebba and Shiroro Hydro Power stations went offline, causing grid generation to drop from 3,631.66 Megawatts at noon to 2,711.84MW. By 2 p.m., generation plummeted further to just 61.60MW, with only Ibom Power remaining on the grid.
This latest incident follows a series of grid failures in October, which included three separate collapses. The most severe left 15 northern states without power for nearly nine days, prompting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and order the restoration of electricity to the affected areas.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which manages the national grid, described the incident as a “partial disturbance” that occurred at around 1:52 p.m. The company cited a series of tripped lines and generators as the cause of the instability. TCN officials assured the public that engineers were working to restore power supply, with bulk electricity already being restored to Abuja by 2:49 p.m. and efforts underway to restore supply to other affected regions.
Despite efforts to address the grid’s instability, the country’s electricity consumers continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing challenges. Chijoke James, National Chairman of the Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria, criticized the operators, pointing to the continued unreliability of power supply.
“For consumers, the supply remains epileptic, and yet we are billed the same amount as before, without compensation for the lack of service,” he said. He also noted that, despite increased revenue since the introduction of higher tariffs, power supply has not improved, highlighting the sector’s structural issues that disproportionately affect consumers.
Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) acknowledged the disruption and apologized via social media, confirming that they were working with TCN to restore normal service.