Darkness covers Nigeria as national grid collapses

There is nationwide blackout as the national electricity grid, centrally managed from Osogbo, Osun State, collapsed around 4:30pm on Thursday.

This is the fourth time the grid is collapsing in the first three months of the year.

Various distribution companies have confirmed that their feeders were rendered inactive, resulting in widespread blackouts across the country.

The grid’s output, which stood at 2984 megawatts as of 4 pm, plummeted to zero within the span of an hour, with all 21 plants connected to the grid ceasing operations by 5 pm.

This incident marks another setback for Nigeria’s electricity sector, which has been marred by persistent issues despite privatisation efforts aimed at revitalization.

Over the past decade since privatisation, the grid has experienced a staggering 141 collapses, underscoring the magnitude of the systemic challenges facing the industry.