BREAKING: Blackout as NLC, TUC shut down National Grid

By Abdulsalam Abdullah

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced on Monday that the national grid has been shut down following a directive from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). This action, in protest over the new minimum wage, has led to a nationwide blackout.

In a statement issued by Ndidi Mbah, spokesperson for TCN, it was confirmed that the shutdown occurred at approximately 2:19 am on June 3, 2024. Mbah reported that electricity workers, following the union’s directive, forced the shutdown of the grid, causing widespread power outages.

Mbah detailed the events leading to the blackout, explaining that at around 1:15 am, workers at the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit of TCN were driven away from their posts. Those who resisted were reportedly beaten and injured, resulting in the unsupervised shutdown of the Benin Area Control Center.

“Other transmission substations shut down by the labour union include Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba, and Osogbo,” Mbah stated. “Additionally, several transmission lines were opened due to the ongoing union activities.”

The power generation sector was also affected. Mbah reported that units at various generating stations were forced to shut down, including one unit at the Jebba Generating Station, with three others shutting down subsequently due to high frequency and system instability.

TCN began efforts to recover the grid at about 3:23 am, starting with the Shiroro Substation in an attempt to restore bulk electricity transmission to the Katampe Transmission Substation. However, union activities have continued to obstruct these recovery efforts.

“We are committed to recovering and stabilizing the grid to restore normal bulk transmission of electricity to distribution load centers nationwide,” Mbah stated.