Another national grid collapse leaves Nigeria in darkness
The national energy grid, centrally regulated in Osogbo, Osun State, collapsed at around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, leaving millions of homes and businesses without power, causing yet another nationwide blackout in Nigeria.
This is the fourth time the grid has crashed in the first three months of the year, compounding long-standing issues in Nigeria’s electricity industry.Numerous distribution firms (DisCos) covering the nation’s 36 states reported that their feeders went inactive, causing widespread power outages across the nation.
The grid’s production, which stood at 2,984 megawatts as of 4 p.m. on Thursday, fell to zero in less than an hour, with all 21 grid-connected facilities shutting down by 5 p.m.
This incident represents yet another setback for Nigeria’s energy system, which has persistent issues despite attempts at privatization to revive it.
The grid has collapsed 141 times in the decade since privatization, highlighting the industry’s inherent issues.
By Nnaemeka Odenigbo