In yet another setback for Nigeria’s power sector, a national grid collapse has resulted in a widespread blackout across the country, according to recent reports. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) issued a statement on its official account, attributing the power outage to a system failure on the national grid on Sunday, February 4, 2024.
The AEDC assured its customers that efforts are underway, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to restore power as soon as the grid stabilizes. The nationwide blackout has raised concerns about the reliability and resilience of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
“The Management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC) wishes to inform its valued customers that the power outage being experienced is as a result of a system failure from the national grid at 11:21 hours today, 4th February, 2024, which has led to a nationwide power outage.
“Be rest assured that we are working with the relevant stakeholders to restore power as soon as the grid is stabilized,” the statement said.
This incident follows recent challenges in electricity supply across the country, with constraints in gas supply to electricity generation companies being cited as a contributing factor. The recurring nature of such power failures highlights the ongoing issues facing the nation’s energy sector.
In 2023, Nigerians experienced at least three nationwide blackouts on September 14, 19, and December 11, pointing to a concerning pattern of instability in the country’s power grid. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had pleaded with Nigerians for patience just two days ago, acknowledging the challenges facing the government in addressing the persistent issues within the power sector.
As citizens grapple with the consequences of yet another power outage, there is a growing call for comprehensive measures to address the root causes of these disruptions and ensure a more reliable and resilient power supply for the Nigerian population.
