The sixth power grid collapse of 2024 in Nigeria occurred on Monday, with electricity generation plummeting from 2,583.77 megawatts at 2 am to 64.7MW around 3 am before restoration later in the day.
The cause of Monday’s grid collapse, as stated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, was attributed to a fire incident. The consistent blame for power generation issues and grid collapses in Nigeria has been directed towards gas shortages and vandalism of power infrastructure.
Nigeria, with an estimated population of 200 million, generates an average of 4,000MW of electricity. However, this level of generation is unsustainable due to factors such as gas supply constraints, infrastructure vandalism, and financial difficulties.
Data from the Independent System Operator, a division of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, indicated that only Ibom Power was operational during Monday’s grid collapse.
Power generation dropped even further to 44.5MW around 4 am before slowly recovering to 132.29MW an hour later.
The grid collapse was confirmed by Jos Electricity Distribution Company, with Dr. Friday Elijah, the Head of Corporate Affairs, notifying customers of the power outage.
Elijah expressed optimism that the grid would be restored, ensuring normal power supply to consumers.
Meanwhile, economic activities in the South-East were halted as the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc reported a total system collapse in its network.
Emeka Ezeh, the Head of Corporate Communications at EEDC, informed customers in the South-East states of the situation, urging patience until power supply is reinstated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
In a separate incident earlier in February, a nationwide grid collapse was witnessed, resulting in widespread blackouts across the country.
The TCN responded to this collapse by identifying a fire incident at the Afam power generating station as the cause of the system disruption.
TCN’s Efforts
Following the incidents, the TCN assured full restoration of the grid, emphasizing its commitment to enhancing grid resilience and reliability through continued investment in infrastructure.
Recurring Challenges
The recurrent collapse of Nigeria’s power grid underscores the unstable nature of the system, leading to frequent disruptions in power supply.
In another incident in March, a significant drop in power generation led to a countrywide blackout, affecting millions of homes and businesses.
The reasons behind these collapses often stem from issues like gas constraints, as highlighted by TCN reports.
Addressing the challenges posed by these grid collapses remains a priority as Nigeria strives to stabilize its power supply for its vast population.A collapse was witnessed on the country’s grid.
Data from the power ministry revealed a significant decrease in electricity generation on the grid, plummeting from 2,407MW around 11.53 am to 31MW by noon on that Sunday. Eventually, it collapsed to 0MW an hour later.
This resulted in widespread blackouts throughout the nation, with power distribution companies attributing the issue to the grid collapse managed by TCN.
Frequent incidents of vandalism
On February 28, 2024, TCN made an announcement that vandals had destroyed Tower 70 along its 330kV Gwagwalade-Katampe Transmission line in Abuja. This marked the third transmission tower to be vandalized in five days, exacerbating the blackout situation across the country.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Mbah stated, “TCN confirms that Tower 70 along its 330kV Gwagwalade -Katampe Transmission line has been vandalized, with the tower dangerously collapsed on the ground.
“This unfortunate event occurred on February 26, 2024, at approximately 11.32 p.m. At that time, the Gwagwalada – Katampe Transmission line tripped at Gwagwalada Transmission Substation, and the attempt to reclose by TCN operators failed, requiring a physical inspection of the line.
“During the inspection, the TCN team discovered that the four tower footings of Tower 70 were vandalized, resulting in the tower legs being destroyed and causing the tower to collapse to the ground, supported only by the conductors. This incident has significantly reduced the power supply flexibility and volume into Abuja by 250 megawatts.”
Meanwhile, TCN confirmed that engineers were promptly dispatched to the site of the incident to conduct emergency repairs on the damaged tower and its associated equipment.
“We emphasize the necessity for heightened vigilance in combating the vandalism of power equipment. It is crucial for any suspicions regarding power equipment to be reported to security authorities or the nearest TCN offices nationwide,” the statement read.
Previously, TCN had reported a five-megawatt drop in power generation on the national grid due to the vandalism of two electricity transmission towers along the Gombe – Damaturu 330kV transmission line.
Although the company had deployed engineers to rectify the tower issues, it strongly condemned the acts, labeling them as recurring sabotage on the nation’s power transmission towers.