The Nigerian National Grid has collapsed for the 11th time in 2024, setting a new unfortunate national record under the watch of Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu.
In a dramatic week, this marks the third collapse within seven days, underscoring a major crisis in the country’s power sector.
The latest grid collapse, which occurred on October 19, has drawn widespread attention, making the topic trend online, with many Nigerians expressing frustration over the frequency of the outages. This year alone, the power grid has experienced failures on the following dates: February 14, March 28, April 14, April 15, June 3, July 6 (twice), August 5, October 14, October 15, and now, October 19.
The 11 grid failures this year have left millions of Nigerians in darkness, disrupting businesses, homes, and essential services across the country. In response to the mounting criticism, Minister Adelabu has stated that these grid collapses may continue until each of the 36 states installs its own power grid, a solution aimed at decentralizing the national power supply system.
Despite efforts to stabilize the situation, the recurring outages highlight a deeper, systemic issue within Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure. The historical number of collapses has cast a shadow over the current administration’s energy policies, prompting calls for more immediate and effective interventions to address the deteriorating power situation.
With another collapse expected around the corner unless significant changes are made, the need for swift action is more pressing than ever to prevent further disruptions and safeguard the country’s fragile power supply system.
