The Nigerian national grid has faced another significant failure, collapsing once more on Tuesday and plunging large swathes of the country into darkness.
This latest setback was confirmed by the Nigeria National Grid’s official X handle, indicating that power generation across all major stations dropped to zero megawatts (MW).
As of 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, key power plants, including Afam IV & V, Azura-Edo, Egbin, and Shiroro, recorded no output, leading to a complete halt in power generation nationwide.
In light of the ongoing issues, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced a scheduled preventive maintenance operation on the Ife-Ondo 132kV transmission line.
This operation is set to take place on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., during which time residents in the surrounding areas may experience disruptions in power supply.
Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, emphasized the necessity of this maintenance work for the reliability and efficiency of the national grid.
"This exercise is crucial for our Lines Maintenance Engineers to perform trace maintenance between Towers 6 and 12," Mbah explained.
As a result of this maintenance, Benin Distribution Company (Benin DisCo) will be unable to supply electricity to customers on the Ondo and Okitipupa 33kV feeders.
However, Mbah assured that bulk power supply would be restored immediately upon completion of the maintenance.
As Nigerians grapple with the implications of this latest power outage, TCN's commitment to restoring and maintaining the grid is more crucial than ever.
The public remains hopeful for a swift resolution to the ongoing power challenges.