Incessant power grid collapse: Experts urge systemic overhaul amid recovery efforts

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that a sudden frequency spike from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz led to a disruption of the national grid at approximately 11:29 a.m. on Thursday.

The incident, which caused widespread blackouts, has once again highlighted systemic challenges within Nigeria’s power infrastructure.

In its official statement, TCN detailed that the frequency surge originated from technical problems at one of its substations, prompting an emergency shutdown to prevent further damage.

TCN spokespersons confirmed that rapid intervention measures were initiated, enabling partial restoration of power in the Abuja area within 28 minutes.

However, full restoration in other affected regions remains ongoing as engineers continue to stabilize the grid.

“Recovery is still ongoing,” TCN stated, emphasizing their commitment to restoring normalcy as quickly as possible.

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Energy analyst and power infrastructure expert, Dr. Adewale Ogunleye, noted that while TCN’s quick response mitigated a more extensive collapse, the frequency surge points to deeper issues within the national grid’s resilience.

“The occurrence of such frequency variations often indicates underlying vulnerabilities in system balancing and load management,” Ogunleye explained.

He stressed that these vulnerabilities, unless comprehensively addressed, will continue to leave the grid susceptible to periodic disruptions.

Ongoing Repair and Upgrade Initiatives
TCN has embarked on significant repair projects aimed at bolstering the transmission network’s robustness. Among these initiatives are:

Repairs on the Shiroro–Mando 330kV transmission line, which will enhance transmission capacity and stability.
Upgrades to the Jebba Transmission Substation.

Restoration efforts on the second Ugwuaji–Apir 330kV transmission line to fortify regional supply lines.

These targeted interventions are part of broader efforts following an investigative committee’s recommendations after previous grid collapses.

According to TCN, these strategic improvements are designed to address identified system weaknesses and reduce the risk of future failures.

“Following the submission of the investigative report on the causes of previous grid collapses, we have begun addressing the identified weaknesses in the transmission system,” TCN said, adding that the current repairs are crucial to long-term grid stability.

The federal government, represented by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), pointed out that while the country has an installed power generation capacity of approximately 13,610MW, including the recently commissioned 700MW Zungeru hydroelectric plant, distribution infrastructure remains inadequate.

The NOA stated that the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) are only able to utilize a portion of the generated power due to limited capacity, which exacerbates system vulnerabilities and leads to grid failures.

“Despite the 13,610MW generation capacity and the over 8,000MW transmission capacity, the total active distribution capacity of the 11 Discos in Nigeria is still hovering around 4,000-5,000MW,” the NOA elaborated.

This significant gap underscores why power outages and disruptions persist despite sufficient generation and transmission capabilities.

Acknowledging the challenges faced by citizens and businesses due to the recurrent power outages, TCN appealed for understanding during the ongoing upgrades.

“We acknowledge the impact of these disruptions and ask for the understanding and patience of the public during this challenging period,” the company stated.

Energy policy specialist, Engr. Rukayat Adebayo, also urged stakeholders to take a more collaborative approach in addressing the infrastructural deficit.

“What we are witnessing is a legacy issue, but it’s one that can only be mitigated with continuous investment, reforms, and efficient coordination among all segments of the power sector,” she said.