By Ndujihe Clifford Chiebuka
Nigeria’s power grid suffered its fourth collapse in just 24 days, exacerbating the country’s perennial electricity woes. The latest disruption occurred when Jebba and Shiroro Hydro Power plants went offline, slashing grid generation to 2,711.84 Megawatts.
Causes of the Collapse
- Aging infrastructure
- Overloading
- Lack of investment
- Poor coordination
- Vandalism and sabotage
Consequences
- Prolonged blackouts
- Economic losses (billions of dollars)
- Disrupted businesses
- Hospitals struggling to provide essential services
- Household hardships
Expert Insights
“The sector has a structural defect that favors operators to the detriment of consumers,” said Chijoke James, National Chairman, Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria.
Way Forward
- Invest in infrastructure upgrades
- Improve maintenance and efficiency
- Adopt smart grid technology
- Enhance security measures
- Implement policy reforms
- Decentralize the grid
- Promote private sector participation
- Invest in renewable energy sources
Government Response
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate restoration of supply to affected states. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is working to restore bulk power supply.
Source: Vanguard.
