Millions hit by blackout as national grid collapses
By Olakunle Oke
Nigeria was thrown into darkness on Wednesday after the national power grid failed at about 11:23 a.m., disrupting supply across the country.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) confirmed the collapse, reporting that power generation plummeted from 2,917 megawatts to barely 1.5 megawatts. Millions of households and businesses were cut off, grappling with the consequences of yet another breakdown.
By the afternoon, partial supply had been restored in Lagos and Abuja, but many cities, including Port Harcourt and Jos, remained without electricity as engineers battled to bring the grid back online.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has faced repeated setbacks in stabilising the network, recording at least 12 collapses in 2024 alone. Energy analysts point to chronic weaknesses in the system as evidence of deeper structural flaws that have plagued the sector for decades.
According to World Bank estimates, Nigeria loses about $29 billion every year to unreliable electricity supply, a figure that illustrates the scale of economic harm caused by persistent outages.
Attention has also turned once more to the ageing grid itself, first designed in 1962 by engineer Clement Onyemelukwe. Experts contend that the system has long been overstretched and is unable to meet the demands of Nigeria’s fast-growing population and expanding economy.
Renewable energy specialist, Victoria Ibrahim, observed that the current centralised model is unsustainable. She noted that decentralised alternatives, such as solar mini-grids and small-scale hydro plants, offer more durable solutions.
Observers maintain that decades of neglect, chronic underinvestment, and half-hearted reforms have left the grid vulnerable to repeated collapse.
Successive governments have promised to overhaul the electricity sector, but tangible results have been scarce. For many Nigerians, Wednesday’s blackout was yet another stark reminder of the urgent need for transformation.
As restoration efforts continue, the latest collapse has sharpened focus on the fragility of the nation’s power infrastructure and the mounting demand for sustainable alternatives.