Nigeria Braces for Nationwide Power Outage Following Fourth National Grid Failure This Year
At approximately 4:30 pm on Thursday, the primary electricity network based in Osogbo, Osun State, suffered a breakdown, plunging numerous households and businesses into darkness. This marks the fourth grid collapse within the first quarter of the year, exacerbating the ongoing challenges within Nigeria’s power sector.
Reports from distribution companies (DisCos) across all 36 states indicate widespread disruptions to their power supply systems, resulting in extensive blackouts nationwide. According to Leadership, electricity production on the grid, which stood at 2,984 megawatts by 4 p.m. on Thursday, plummeted to zero within an hour. By 5 p.m., all 21 power plants connected to the grid had ceased operations.
This recent incident underscores the persistent struggles of Nigeria’s electricity sector, despite privatization efforts aimed at improvement. With 141 grid collapses recorded over the past decade, the industry faces deep-rooted challenges. Presently, only the Azura Power Plant is actively contributing to the grid, albeit with a modest output of 54 megawatts, while major generation plants like Egbin, Afam, and Geregu remain inactive, exacerbating the country’s electricity shortfall.
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