- Nigeria’s national grid collapsed for the second time in three days on November 7, 2024, leaving millions nationwide without power.
- Electricity distribution companies are working to restore supply, but concerns about the reliability of the nation’s power infrastructure are growing.
Nigeria’s national electricity grid has collapsed for the second time in just three days, plunging vast regions of the country into darkness. According to data from the Nigerian System Operator’s portal (niggrid.org), power generation dropped to zero megawatts at around 11:30 a.m. on November 7, 2024. This sudden failure affected all 22 power generation companies nationwide, highlighting the fragility of the country’s energy infrastructure.
The widespread outage was confirmed by several electricity distribution companies, which took to social media to inform customers about the situation. The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), which provides power to parts of Lagos, issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) acknowledging the system failure. “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, November 7, 2024, at 11:29 hrs, affecting supply within our network,” the company wrote. It assured customers that efforts were underway to restore power. “Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us,” the statement continued.
The collapse of the national grid has led to power cuts across multiple states, affecting millions of Nigerians. The timing of the incident, coming just days after a similar failure on November 4, has raised concerns over the reliability and sustainability of Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution systems. The recurrent grid failures are a symptom of deeper systemic issues, including ageing infrastructure, insufficient generation capacity, and inadequate maintenance.
The frequency of grid collapses has exacerbated frustrations among Nigerians, who are already grappling with an unreliable power supply and the high costs of alternative energy sources like diesel and petrol generators. For many businesses, the frequent outages pose a significant challenge to operations, while households continue to endure long hours without electricity.
In response to the crisis, distribution companies are working closely with stakeholders in the energy sector to restore power as quickly as possible. However, it remains unclear when the grid will be fully restored, and concerns continue to mount about the long-term stability of the national grid.
As the outage persists, Nigerians are increasingly questioning the government’s and relevant authorities’ ability to address the country’s ongoing power sector challenges. With the national grid collapsing multiple times quickly, the need for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s energy sector has never been more pressing.