Once again, the national electricity grid of Nigeria has experienced a collapse.
Citizens in major Nigerian cities, including Lagos and Abuja, are facing a blackout once again due to the collapse of the national electricity grid. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) officially confirmed this development in a statement released on Monday, December 11, 2023. The widespread power outage occurred in the afternoon, plunging consumers across the country into complete darkness. Ndidi Mbah, the spokesperson for TCN, mentioned in the statement that efforts are underway to restore the national power grid. Although power supply has been reinstated in Abuja and some areas, the capital city remains without electricity at the time of this report.
This recent grid failure is the second since mid-September when distribution firms nationwide reported a lack of bulk electricity from federal infrastructure. The incident follows statements by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who recently expressed the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with state governments to address power sector challenges and enhance supply. During a visit by Governor Alex Otti of Abia state, Adelabu highlighted the crucial role of state governments in areas such as infrastructure improvement, reducing metering gaps, enforcing bill collection, rural electrification, combating power theft, preventing asset vandalism, and securing right-of-way transmission lines.
The minister proposed the unbundling of regional Distribution Companies (DisCos) into different states to facilitate localized oversight. He suggested exploring financial collaboration modalities between the federal and state governments, potentially involving a swap of federal government stakes in DISCOs with stakes in the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC). Adelabu urged states to establish active rural electrification boards, collaborate with the ministry’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA), and support the provision of distribution transformers and replacement of weak power lines to achieve reliable and functional power supplies. Additionally, he announced plans to organize an inaugural ministerial retreat for the power sector from December 12 to 14, where extensive discussions on power sector issues will take place.
Source:
IntelRegion
WHATSAPP: Click HERE to join the D World Gist WhatsApp group to receive latest updates on your phone!