Nigeria has once again plunged into darkness following the collapse of the national electricity grid managed from Osogbo, Osun State, at approximately 4:30 pm on Thursday.
This marks the fourth collapse of the grid within the first three months of the year, exacerbating longstanding challenges in the country’s power sector.
Distribution companies across all 36 states reported inactive feeders, leading to widespread blackouts. The grid’s output, which was at 2984 megawatts at 4 pm, plummeted to zero within an hour, with all 21 connected plants ceasing operations by 5 pm.
This incident underscores the systemic issues facing Nigeria’s electricity sector, despite efforts at privatization aimed at revitalization. Over the past decade, the grid has experienced 141 collapses, highlighting the magnitude of the challenges.
As of reporting at 6:00 pm, only the Azura Power Plant was contributing to the grid, with a modest output of 54 megawatts, while major power generation plants remained dormant, exacerbating the nationwide electricity deficit.
