Grid collapse: FG restores electricity after days of national blackout

The Federal Government claimed that electricity has been restored across the country after days of nationwide blackout caused by the collapse of the national grid.

Nigerians started the week in darkness as the nation's power grid experienced a total collapse around 10am on Monday, March 14, 2022.

Although power was restored to the grid around 1 pm on the same day, the system experienced yet another collapse hours after which has kept the whole nation in perpetual darkness ever since.

However, Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed on Wednesday, March 16, that the government had resolved the power outage.

Briefing the State House Correspondents after the week’s virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Aliyu ssaid the government is now trying to push more megawatts on the grid.

The Minister also blamed blamed pipeline vandalisation, grid collapses among other challenges as causes of the recurrent nationwide blackout.

"We have recovered the grid now. The grid is back and we are trying to get more megawatts to push on the grid. We have set up small committees all geared towards getting more megawatts to put on the grid,” Aliyu told reporters.

He added, “The current challenges of electricity supply in Nigeria are being resolved with the ongoing restoration of normal operations. Early in the week, the national grid suffered a decrease in electricity due to so many factors. However, more of the power is being restored.

“The current energy crisis confronting some key sectors of the economy also contributed to the problems we are facing now in the power sector.

“We are where we are today also because of the increasing vandalization of pipelines that also supply gas to the power plants. This too is being resolved in collaboration with the relevant agencies. NNPC and other gas suppliers are working relentlessly to restore gas supply for optimum power supply."

"The government is doing everything — working with the relevant security agencies — to stop the vandalization of pipelines.

“Routine maintenance of power generating plants had also contributed to the current power outages we are experiencing.

“These challenges do not in any way indicate that the ongoing rehabilitation of the national grid by the government is not yielding results.

“Despite all the challenges, we are recording successes and the grid is being restored back to full operation. Government solicits the support of all Nigerians at this time, while efforts will continue to increase and stabilize the electricity supply across Nigeria, he concluded.

This is the third time the national grid would experience a system collapse in this year alone.

The grid, which is being managed by the government-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has continued to suffer system collapse over the years amid a lack of spinning reserve that is meant to forestall such occurrences.