Recurring collapses of Nigeria’s national grid have remained one of the most persistent challenges in the country’s electricity sector, often plunging homes, businesses and industries into darkness and sparking widespread public frustration, DARE OLAWIN reports As concerns continue to mount over the stability of the power system, the Nigerian Independent System Operator has shed more light on the technical factors responsible for the disturbances, linking them to failures across the generation, transmission and distribution chain.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator attributed recurring grid collapses in the country to faults across the generation, transmission and distribution segments of the power sector. NISO’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abdu Mohammed, speaking during a virtual interaction with energy correspondents, media organisations and professionals across Nigeria, including heads of corporate communications departments from power distribution companies, explained that system collapses could occur at any point in the power value chain.
“These disruptions can occur at any point in the power value chain, whether generation, transmission, or distribution. However, NISO is committed to immediate response measures to ensure swift restoration to normal operations whenever such issues arise,” he said.
He explained that the Nigerian Independent System Operator oversees the management and stabilisation of the national grid, which comprises interconnected high-voltage transmission lines, substations and other equipment across the country. According to him, the grid frequency serves as an indicator of the balance between electricity demand and supply, reflecting the power dispatched from generation companies to consumers through the transmission system.
“Frequency is measured in hertz, with the grid code stipulating that the nominal operating frequency is 50 Hz. For example, at any given point in time, the system operator manages to balance the system frequency through balancing of supply (generation) and demand (consumption), maintaining a balanced system within a frequency of 50 Hz ± 2.5 per cent.
However, such perfect balancing is an extremely difficult activity, most especially with largely manual system operation and low system visibility,” he added. Nigeria’s electricity grid has suffered repeated collapses over the years, highlighting deep-rooted weaknesses in the country’s power infrastructure despite several reforms and investments in the sector.
Investigations by The PUNCH showed that the national grid collapsed about 105 times within 10 years under the administrations of former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu despite billions of dollars in loans and interventions targeted at improving electricity infrastructure.
According to findings, Buhari’s administration recorded about 93 grid collapses between 2015 and May 2023, while the Tinubu administration recorded multiple collapses between 2023 and 2024. It was also gathered that the national grid suffered 97 collapses between November 2013 and January 2019 following the privatisation of the power sector.
Data obtained from the Transmission Company of Nigeria showed that the incidents comprised 73 total collapses and 24 partial collapses. The situation continued in 2024 as the country recorded repeated nationwide blackouts. The PUNCH reported that the grid collapsed at least 10 times in 2024, with some incidents occurring within days of each other.
One of the major incidents occurred on 19 October 2024, when the national grid suffered a major disturbance that plunged several parts of the country into darkness. Days later, another collapse occurred, sparking renewed concerns over the stability of the transmission network.