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…Stakeholders call for sack of Power Minister, TCN MD
• Say they’ve failed woefully
By Isaac Anumihe (Abuja) and Olakunle Olafioye, Agatha Emeadi (Lagos)
Last year, the nation recorded 12 grid collapses, an average of one grid collapse in one month. Again, this year has begun with an early grid collapse, which the regulators claimed, is line tripping.
Adebayo, Minister of PowerBut whether it is a grid collapse, line tripping, partial grid collapse or grid disturbance, the result is darkness.
And darkness connotes negativity, which cripples business activities and all human endeavours.
Indeed, on Wednesday, February 12, the nation recorded its first disturbance which threw the nation into another darkness.
As usual, businesses were affected and economic activities disrupted.
The Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) reported that the system outage happened at 11:34 a.m on February 12, 2025 which affected all feeders.
“Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today February 12, 2025 at 11:34hrs affecting all our feeders.
“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders,” Ikeja Electricity Company, wrote.
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company also confirmed the development on its X handle:
“Dear valued customer, we regret to inform you that a system disturbance occurred on the national grid at 11:34 a.m today (February 12) causing a power outage across our franchise areas.
“While gradual restoration of power supply has commenced, please be assured that we are working closely with the relevant stakeholders to fully restore electricity as soon as the grid is stabilised. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to serve you better.”
But the grid regulator, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said that it was a line tripping of a 330kV transmission line which occurred at 11:34 hours on February 12 at the Omotosho end.
“The tripping resulted in a cascaded outage affecting the Lagos, Abuja, and Osogbo axis. However, all other parts of the grid remained unaffected, contrary to reports of a total grid collapse in the media.
“The line has been successfully restored, and normal power supply has been fully restored to the affected areas.
“We assure Nigerians of our commitment to efficient delivery of bulk power across the nation as we continue to implement measures to enhance the stability of the national grid,” the General Manager (GM), Public Affairs of TCN, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, said.
Notwithstanding, the after effect of disturbance or collapse or line tripping is darkness, which is highly debilitating.
It’s against this backdrop that stakeholders in the power industry are calling for the removal of the Minister of Power who is at the helm of affairs in the ministry.
They also demanded the removal of the Managing Director of TCN, who is the direct manager of the national grid.
National President, Association for Public Policy Analysis and Executive Director, Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, Chief Princewill Okorie, moved for the removal of the minister and the managing director of TCN.
“This thing reflects the failure of the system.
The procurement process of the materials used to construct the grid, how is it done? Who are the personnel used to build the grids? Who monitors the grid? Why is it that up till now, there’s no shakeup in the power sector? Is it that the Tinubu administration is afraid of the operators of the power sector?
“When this thing happened two, three times, last year, they would have removed the Minister of Power. They would have removed the Managing Director of TCN. There would have been a serious shakeup in the power sector because the way these things are, it’s the same people that are manning these institutions that are still there. Will you continue to operate with people who have no solution to the problem?
“There should be a major shakeup in the Ministry of Power. Let the minister be removed. Let there be changes. Let the MD of TCN be removed. Let new blood be brought in.
“For three weeks, there has not been steady power in Mpape, Abuja where I stay. Light just came around 11 last night. They took it about one hour ago. We will not have it again till the whole day. It has been like this for the past three weeks in Mpape, Abuja. How can people survive like this? So, for me, there has to be a shakeup in that sector,” he submitted.
The Managing Director of Idfon Power Engineering Consultants (iPEC) Limited, Dr Idowu Oyebanjo, gave a chronology of grid collapses in 2024 and concluded that until greed collapses in the power sector, grid collapse will persist.
“Grid Collapse has become a recurrent decimal.
The first grid collapse in 2024 occurred on Sunday, February 4, leading to prolonged outages across many regions of the country. The second grid collapse took place less than two months after on Thursday, March 28. This was followed by another grid collapse event on Monday, April 15, less than a month later. This grid collapse affected key cities and industrial zones as it is always the case with such events.
“The fourth grid collapse in the year under review occurred on Saturday, July 6 causing serious frustrations among citizens as regular activities in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors were disrupted.
“Incessant grid collapses continued in 2024 with another collapse on Monday, August 5, with widespread blackouts reported across the country. The 6th, 7th, and 8th grid collapse events of the year occurred on 14th, 15th and 19th of October. On restoration on October 19, 2024, the grid collapsed again the 9th time. In November, two grid collapse events occurred on Tuesday, 5th and Thursday, 7th.
“After the 11th grid collapse event, the Minister of Power set up an inter-sectoral investigative committee to look at the remote and immediate causes/solutions to the problem of incessant grid collapses in Nigeria. A 12th grid collapse occurred on 11th of December, 2024.
“Twelve grid collapses in 12 months – an average of one grid collapse per month!!,” he recalled.
Oyebanjo expressed concern over the confusion arising from the use of terminologies like grid disturbance in place of grid collapse in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
He explained that a grid disturbance refers to an abnormal condition or event that affects the normal operation of the power grid, but does not necessarily lead to a complete collapse.
Typical examples of grid disturbances include voltage fluctuations, frequency deviations, power oscillations, line faults, generator tripping.
“However, a grid collapse, on the other hand, refers to a catastrophic failure of the power grid, resulting in a widespread loss of electricity supply.
“A grid collapse can occur when a grid disturbance is not properly managed or mitigated, leading to a cascade of failures that ultimately cause the grid to collapse.
“To recognise a grid collapse events, watch out for widespread power outages, loss of grid stability, failure of critical infrastructure, (e.g, transmission lines, substations), equipment damage or destruction, etc.
“In summary, while grid disturbances are abnormal conditions that can affect grid operations, grid collapses are catastrophic failures that result in widespread power outages and potential equipment damage,” Oyebanjo stated.
In Lagos State, some residents have called on the Federal Government to find lasting solutions to the frequent collapse of the national grid, saying the development has impacted negatively on their means of livelihood.
This also followed the nation’s devastating grid collapse on Wednesday, February 12, which also threw Lagos into darkness.
The Ikeja Electric Distribution Company confirmed the grid collapse on its X handle: “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today 12th February, 2025 at 11:34hrs affecting all our feeders.
“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders.”
The disturbing development, which was the second in the year following a similar collapse on January 11 was also confirmed by National Grid’s X page which wrote: “There was a “Grid Disturbance” before noon today. Parts of the country experienced outages.”
In Lagos, some business owners who spoke to Sunday Sun said that the frequent collapse of the national grid puts their businesses in jeopardy as they are forced to resort to alternative energy sources which come with additional costs.
A hotel owner, Mr Idowu Asade, said his hotel suffered a huge loss following the development.
His words: “Whenever it happens we don’t have any other option than to change to our power generating set. A litre of diesel is now high. Depending on how long the outage lasts, you will have to put on the generator especially at night because of the customers.
“The situation is so bad that some hotels are losing customers daily as operators are being forced to cut down periods when guests could enjoy power supply, mostly from generators.”
Frozen food dealers are equally lamenting the incessant collapse of the national grid, saying the situation affects their business in no small measure.
A dealer, Mrs Sherifat Ahmed said she loses more money whenever there were prolonged power outages due to national grid collapse or electrical faults in her community as she was always compelled to switch over to her generating set.
“The nature of my business is such that it cannot withstand power outages. So, whenever it happens I just have to put on the generators to power the freezers especially because one does not know how long the outage might last and the stock can go bad if it is prolonged,” she said.
She claimed that whenever the occasional grid collapse coincided with the time she needed to re-stock, she often had to delay it until the problem was fixed, “because you incur more money powering the freezers with the generating set than when using electricity.
For Prince Ademola Gbolahan, MD, Princely Poly, the impact of frequent grid collapse is too enormous for his nature of business as not many companies in the line of the business can break even using alternative energy supply such as generators.
“Here, we use heavy machines and to power them with generators at a time when the prices of petrol and diesel are not advisable. So, whenever we find ourselves in this situation we just have to halt production because it does not make economic sense to switch over to power generating sets nowadays,” he stated.
Alhaji Jide Oriniowo is a supplier of frozen different types of fish within Ifoshi road, Ejigbo.
On how he manages trailer loads of frozen fish with the collapse of the national grid; he said.: “I am a businessman who learned the hard way. Years ago, when I started this business, then Nigeria was on the National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA). Once the grid collapsed and there was no light for one week, I almost lost a trailer of fish that was freshly supplied to my cold room. It got so bad my sales boys carried them in turns to the open market and sold them below cost price. That was when I invested in a generator 900-KVA. With or without electricity supply, we do not trade at a loss anymore. Though to power 900-KVA means there will be an increase on a freshly preserved carton of fish to accommodate the cost of diesel.”
Baba Gani is a popular welder and iron bender whose services benefit richly from the power supply.
He was dozing off in his near make-shift shop.
On reaching out to him about the collapse of the national grid since it is his support system, Baba grumbled in sadness and said: “The collapse of the national grid has affected my business.” Pointing towards various scattered iron rods, he said: “These are works which the owners should have collected today; especially that burglary proof, but there is no power supply to complete it. My old 6.5KVA Elepaq generator has served me as an alternative power supply but it has packed up recently. I have resigned to faith. Will continue when electricity is restored.”
Mama Ekene, CEO of Vision designs said that her garment making services have converted their daily production into night and vice versa.
She said: “We sleep during the day and work at night. Since the collapse of the national grid, it is difficult to run such a shop with almost 15 different types of sewing machines with fuel. I have a generator, but it cannot carry all our services from sewing, stoning, hemming, ironing etc.”
Interestingly, these are a few who could afford alternative energy supply, but there are several homes of monthly shoppers where the deep freezer is stocked to the brim with the hope that power supply would preserve them. What about vulcanizers, hairdressers who would contend with power supply in the present situation where Premium Motor Spirit is gold?
Not only does poor power supply cripple businesses, it also comes with environmental costs.
Environmentalists said the constant use of generators that emit carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, increases air pollution which affects climate change and human health.
In turn, environmental damage often results in agricultural job losses with unquantifiable ripple effects on the nation as a whole.
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