By Our Reporter
Nigeria is grappling with yet another electricity system collapse, marking the first such incident in 2024, according to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The collapse occurred at 11:21 hours on Sunday, February 4, 2024, resulting in a nationwide power outage, as reported by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC).
This recent blackout follows a significant drop in gas supply to electricity generation companies, plunging most parts of the nation into darkness. It marks the fourth occurrence of a system collapse, causing a nationwide blackout. In 2023, Nigerians experienced three such blackouts on September 14, 19, and December 11.
However, after hours of a nationwide blackout on Sunday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, confirmed that the collapsed national grid has been restored. Electricity was restored in most parts at about 12:00am on Monday.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, expressed concerns about the persistent challenges in the power sector, urging patience from Nigerians. He cited the impact of substantial subsidy debts and advocated for a shift to a full cost-reflective tariff regime if the government cannot settle subsidy obligations.
“We have been to Olorunsogo and we are now in the Omotosho Power Plant. These are big power plants. I am impressed with the size and the technology of the power plants here. Their operational history is also impressive,” he said.
Adelabu highlighted the under-capacity utilization of National Independent Power Plants (NIPPs) operated by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Plc (NDPHC), attributing it to gas supply constraints. During visits to power plants like Olorunsogo and Omotosho, he expressed amazement at their low operational capacity, operating below 25 percent.
He emphasized the need to explore solutions to improve their operational capacity, adding that the Ministry of Power aims to engage with power company management with the aim of fostering effective partnerships towards enhancing operational capacity and subsequently boosting nationwide power supply.
With reports from the Vanguard Newspaper