Nigeria Records 227 National Grid Collapses In 14 Years Amid Epileptic Power Supply

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported a significant decline in the number of national grid collapses over the last five years, amidst ongoing concerns about the country’s power supply stability.

Naija News reports that the General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, Ndidi Mbah, provided these insights in a statement released on Wednesday.

According to Mbah, from 2010 to April 2024, Nigeria experienced 227 grid collapses, both total and partial. However, there has been a noticeable improvement in recent years.

“Between 2020 to date, we recorded fourteen total and six partial grid disturbances, totaling twenty,” Mbah explained.

This represents a 76.47 per cent reduction compared to the previous five-year period from 2015 to 2019, which saw sixty-four total and twenty-one partial disturbances.

The announcement comes as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has implemented a 240 per cent increase in electricity tariffs, a move that sparked widespread discontent among various stakeholders, including the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, manufacturers, and other organizations.

These groups have vehemently called for a reversal of the tariff hike, citing the burden it places on consumers and businesses alike.

In defence of the tariff increase, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, recently stated that without the adjustment, the nation risked plunging into darkness, highlighting the financial strain on the power sector’s infrastructure and the need for adequate funding to maintain and upgrade the grid.

Despite the public outcry, TCN’s report highlights a trend of improving grid stability, which could be seen as a positive development in Nigeria’s struggle with erratic power supply.

The reduced frequency of grid collapses over the last five years suggests that interventions and investments in the power transmission infrastructure may be yielding positive results, although the recent tariff hike remains a contentious issue.

As discussions continue, the focus remains on balancing the need for a stable and reliable power supply with the economic impact of increased electricity costs on the general populace and the industrial sector.