- The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) reports that Nigeria’s national grid has collapsed 162 times since 2013, with recent failures worsening electricity distribution.
- APGC CEO Dr Joy Ogaji suggests that a combination of spinning reserves and upgraded governors could address the grid’s frequent instability and failure to meet frequency standards.
The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) revealed Thursday that Nigeria’s national power grid has experienced 162 collapses since 2013. APGC’s Managing Director/CEO, Dr Joy Ogaji, disclosed during a public hearing organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Abuja, where key issues surrounding the recurring grid failures and widespread blackouts were discussed.
Dr Ogaji pointed out that frequent grid collapses have led to reduced electricity allocation to distribution companies, compounding the challenges faced by Nigeria’s power sector. She also highlighted that the national grid collapsed again on Saturday, just days after a similar incident occurred the previous Tuesday. The grid collapse on Saturday occurred around 08:15 a.m., leaving several cities without power.
Speaking at the NERC hearing, Dr Ogaji emphasized that frequent fluctuations and instability in the grid, such as excessive frequency variation, cannot be resolved through the current systems in place. He specifically cited the inadequacy of the “free governor” mode in stabilizing the grid.
According to APGC’s findings, the grid has often been out of compliance with the grid code requirement of maintaining a 50-hertz frequency, with 95% of the time from 2013 onwards showing violations of this standard.
Dr Ogaji suggested that introducing a spinning reserve, and an upgraded governor system could mitigate the grid’s volatility, particularly as research has shown that industries like steel mills operating on the national grid can significantly impact frequency regulation.
Nigeria’s power sector has faced numerous challenges recently, including policy enforcement issues, regulatory uncertainty, gas supply constraints, and transmission infrastructure limitations. Despite the federal government’s 2013 privatisation of power generation and distribution companies—while retaining ownership of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)—the grid has continued to experience persistent collapses. This reflects ongoing struggles to improve efficiency and stabilise the sector.