Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed again on Monday evening, marking the fifth time the grid has failed in 2024. The collapse occurred around 6:18 pm on October 14, plunging much of the country into darkness.
Reports indicated that power generation dropped from 3.87 gigawatts at 5 pm to 0.00GW by 7 pm, confirming a total system failure. The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) confirmed the incident in a statement, informing customers of the grid collapse and the resulting power outage.
“We regret to inform our esteemed customers of a general system collapse that occurred at 18:48 hours today, resulting in the loss of supply across our network,” the statement read, signed by Emeka Ezeh, Head of Corporate Communications at EEDC. The affected areas include Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.
Similarly, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company announced that the grid failure affected its franchise areas and assured customers that efforts were underway to restore power.
The frequent grid collapses have been a cause of concern for electricity consumers, especially given the recent hikes in tariffs. Princewill Okorie, Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, expressed frustration with the recurring failures, noting that customers would continue to pay for power even during periods of grid collapse.
Authorities are yet to provide detailed information on the cause of the collapse and the timeline for restoration.
