On Sunday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced the restoration of the national power grid following a partial collapse on Saturday. According to TCN Public Affairs General Manager, Ndidi Mbah, the incident occurred at approximately 15:09 hours on July 6, 2024. This marks the third partial disturbance and the second total disturbance of the grid this year.
Mbah explained that the collapse was likely triggered by the sudden tripping of three units at a power-generating station, which removed 313MW from the grid and caused system instability. This led to the loss of power supply to a significant portion of the national grid.
The TCN system operator responded to the sudden drop in generation by isolating a section of the grid, including the Ibom Power Station. This measure allowed continued power supply to areas such as Uyo, Aba, Itu, Eket, and Calabar. Grid restoration efforts began immediately, and by 21:57 hours, power was fully restored to the affected areas.
Electricity consumers have expressed frustration over the frequent grid collapses. The power generation from all plants dropped to 70MW at 3 pm on Saturday, down from a peak of 3916MW earlier in the day. Distribution companies received zero power allocation by Saturday evening.
The recent collapse occurred just three days after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission approved a tariff increase for Band A customers, raising concerns about the efficiency and management of the power sector.
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Princewill Okorie, Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, criticized the grid’s frequent failures despite increased tariffs. Okorie questioned the quality of materials used in grid construction and the management practices within the sector. He emphasized the need for accountability and efficient use of funds to stabilize the power system.
Adetayo Adegbemle, Executive Director of PowerUp Nigeria, echoed these sentiments, calling for accountability within the electricity value chain. He suggested that leadership changes might be necessary to address the ongoing issues and improve grid stability.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company reported a complete loss of supply across its network, affecting customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. The Kano Electricity Distribution Company also confirmed outages in its franchise states due to the grid collapse.