In another setback for public power supply, homes and businesses across the country experienced a significant drop in electricity provision as the national power grid plummeted by a staggering 97.1 percent.
The decline occurred between 11 am and 12 noon, causing supply to dwindle from 3,152.7 megawatts (MW) to a mere 88MW.
Third grid collapse in a week
Data sourced from the National System Operator (NSO) revealed that even at 5 pm, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was grappling to restore the grid, with supply inching up to 246MW.
Key power plants, including Afam VI (1.6MW), Ibom Power (70MW), Olorunsogo Plant (58.6MW), Omotosho Plant (67.9MW), and Trans-Amadi (47.7MW), remained active on the grid.
This disheartening incident marks the third grid collapse in less than a week, following an impressive 421 days of grid stability.
While the exact cause of this latest collapse remains unclear, an anonymous TCN source hinted at the need for a thorough investigation into the recent series of grid disruptions.
The source expressed concerns, suggesting that the unusual and recurring grid failures could potentially be linked to acts of sabotage aimed at discrediting government efforts to enhance power supply.
Just two days before this latest collapse, TCN’s Managing Director, Engr. Sule Abdulaziz, disclosed that the estimated cost of repairing damaged equipment at the Birnin Kebbi Transmission Station amounted to approximately $4 million.
The station had been severely affected by a fire incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday and disrupted power supply to Kebbi and Sokoto states.
The fire incident resulted in the destruction of two major transformers (90 MVA and 60 MVA) and the control room.
Engr. Abdulaziz assured that TCN engineers were actively investigating the cause of the fire outbreak. Commenting on the situation, Mr. Adetayo Adegbemle, Executive Director of PowerUp Nigeria, emphasized the need for a comprehensive cyclical grid or regional grids to better manage such issues without causing nationwide power disruptions.