The national electricity grid experienced another collapse on Monday evening, occurring at approximately 6:18 PM and leaving many without power. According to punch correspondent observations, power generation plummeted from 3.87 gigawatts at 5 PM to 3.56 GW by 6 PM, ultimately dropping to zero by 7 PM and 8 PM.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) confirmed the collapse in a statement released on Monday evening. They notified customers of a “general system collapse that occurred at 18:48 hours today, 14th October 2024,” which has led to the widespread power outages being reported across the EEDC network.
As a result, the EEDC indicated that all connections to the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s stations are without power, affecting their ability to serve customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. “We are currently on standby for detailed information regarding the collapse and the restoration of service from the National Control Centre (NCC) in Osogbo,” the statement, signed by Head of Corporate Communications Emeka Ezeh, stated.
The Abuja Distribution Company (Disco) also issued a notice to customers, explaining that the power outage is linked to a national grid system failure that occurred at 6:58 PM today, impacting their service areas. “We are actively collaborating with relevant stakeholders to restore power as soon as the grid stabilizes. We appreciate your understanding during this time.”
This marks the fifth instance of grid collapse in 2024.
Recently, in a conversation with punch correspondent, Princewill Okorie, the Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, expressed disappointment over the recurring grid failures despite rising electricity tariffs. Okorie criticized the situation, pointing out that unmetered customers are still charged during outages and questioned the government’s efforts to address these ongoing incidents.
