Nigeria has been hit by yet another nationwide blackout after its national power grid collapsed for the sixth time this year, leaving millions of citizens in darkness.
The grid failure occurred at 18:48 local time on Sunday, October 14, prompting immediate concern across the country, which has long struggled with a fragile energy infrastructure. This latest collapse has affected all 11 electricity distribution companies, with none of them receiving any power from the grid.
The Eko Electricity Distribution Company, which serves Lagos and its surrounding areas, was among the first to address the issue. In a statement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), the company confirmed the collapse and apologised to its customers, saying:
“Kindly be informed there was a system collapse at 18:48hrs which has resulted in a loss of power supply across our network. We are currently working with our partners to restore the grid as quickly as possible.”
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The collapse is the sixth such incident in 2024, highlighting Nigeria’s ongoing struggle to modernise its energy sector and provide reliable power to its 200 million residents. Power outages have long been a source of frustration for Nigerians, impacting businesses, households, and critical infrastructure such as hospitals.
Repeated Failures
The latest grid failure comes as no surprise to many, with frequent power outages being a regular feature of life in Nigeria. Despite government efforts to improve the power sector, the national grid remains unreliable, often collapsing under the strain of insufficient generation capacity and ageing infrastructure.
Analysts point to years of underinvestment, mismanagement, and technical challenges as key reasons behind the ongoing power crisis. Nigeria generates most of its electricity through natural gas and hydropower, but the grid’s capacity has never been able to meet the country’s high demand.
Power sector reforms in recent years, including privatisation efforts, have yet to deliver the desired results. The situation is compounded by a lack of infrastructure to effectively distribute electricity, leaving much of the power generated unutilised.
Public Reaction
The blackout has sparked widespread frustration among Nigerians, many of whom took to social media to express their dismay. Small businesses reliant on electricity have been hit particularly hard, with many turning to expensive and polluting generators to keep operations running.
A Lagos-based entrepreneur, who runs a printing business, told the BBC: “We can’t do anything without electricity. It’s like we’re going backwards every time the grid collapses. It’s bad for business and bad for the country.”
Government Response
The government has so far not issued an official statement regarding the latest collapse, but it is expected that efforts to restore power will be underway. In previous grid failures, power restoration has taken anywhere from several hours to a few days.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been vocal about plans to overhaul Nigeria’s energy sector, pledging billions of dollars in investment and partnerships with international stakeholders. However, the frequent collapses suggest that progress is slow, and the challenges remain steep.
