Nigeria’s electricity grid will continue to experience frequent collapses unless the federal government addresses the long-standing issues plaguing the power sector, according to the Distribution Companies (DisCos). The national grid has reportedly collapsed 105 times over the past decade, with the most recent failure caused by a transformer explosion in Jebba, leading to a sharp load drop and a system-wide outage.
Speaking on behalf of the DisCos, Sunday Oduntan, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), attributed the frequent collapses to years of neglect, poor maintenance, and insufficient investment in infrastructure by successive governments.
In just the past 10 months, the grid has collapsed over eight times, plunging major cities like Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt into darkness. On October 19, 2024, Nigeria witnessed its third grid collapse within a week, affecting key regions across the country.
Oduntan emphasized that without immediate intervention, the situation will deteriorate further. He called on the government and industry stakeholders to treat the issue as a state of emergency, warning, “Unless we address the root causes of these collapses, the grid will keep failing, leaving the nation in darkness.”
The DisCos are urging comprehensive reforms and significant investments in Nigeria’s power sector to prevent further failures and ensure stable electricity for the country.