Nigeria’s National Electricity Grid has suffered its 10th collapse of the year, marking yet another setback for the nation’s power sector. The National Grid Agency confirmed the latest incident through a post on its official X account, drawing attention to the increasing instability in the grid.
Here is a list of the dates and times of grid disruptions in 2024:
- Sunday, February 4 – Collapse
- Thursday, March 28 – Collapse
- Monday, April 15 – Collapse
- Saturday, July 16 – Collapse
- Monday, August 5 – Collapse
- Monday, October 14 – Collapse
- Tuesday, October 15 – Partial Collapse
- Saturday, October 19 – Disturbance
- Tuesday, November 5 – Disturbance
- Thursday, November 7 – Setback
The Federal Government has highlighted inadequate maintenance and outdated infrastructure as significant contributors to the frequent grid collapses. Nafisatu Asabe Ali, chair of the investigative committee assessing these failures, presented findings at the Ministry of Power’s headquarters in Abuja. According to Ali, excessive electricity voltage beyond equipment capacity was a primary reason behind the October blackouts.
The committee found that lightning arrestor failures at Jebba and Oshogbo transmission stations, along with a current transformer explosion at Jebba, triggered the incidents on October 14 and 19. Ali explained, “For the October 14 event, lightning arrestors in Jebba and Oshogbo shattered due to high voltage. This led to a cascading trip of multiple 330kV lines, escalating into a major grid collapse.”
The report also revealed that aging equipment, some dating back to 1968, plays a significant role in the grid’s frequent failures. Ali noted, “The high voltage damages insulation over time, leading to eventual equipment failure. Jebba’s equipment has deteriorated, with one of two shunt reactors malfunctioning, making the area prone to high voltage issues.”
The committee further identified infrastructure vandalism, outdated equipment, poorly coordinated maintenance schedules, and staffing shortages as factors exacerbating grid instability. These challenges underline the urgent need for modernization and reinforced security measures to stabilize Nigeria’s power grid.
