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Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Nigeria Moves to Transfer National Grid Management Amid Fresh Power Outages

Government plans overhaul following grid collapse caused by Jebba station explosion, as NERC pledges public inquiry into persistent disturbances

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The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has announced ongoing discussions to transfer management of the national power grid to an Independent System Operator (ISO). This move, in line with the Electricity Act 2023, is aimed at fostering greater discipline and efficiency in grid management as the country battles recurring power outages.

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NERC also confirmed that the latest national grid collapse, which occurred early on Saturday, was triggered by an explosion at the Jebba transmission station. The incident marks the third grid failure in just one week, leading to widespread blackouts across the nation. The collapse, which initially plunged multiple states into darkness, has seen power gradually restored to 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory by 1 pm on Saturday.

A statement from NERC, posted on its official X handle, expressed concern over the increasing frequency of grid disturbances, which have reversed some of the progress made in stabilising Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.

“Initial reports on the grid disturbance that occurred this morning indicate that today’s outage was triggered by an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station at 08:15 hours, causing a cascade of power plant shutdowns due to the loss of load,” the commission stated.

Despite ongoing efforts to restore supply, NERC acknowledged the urgency of addressing the root causes of these repeated failures. To that end, the commission has pledged to conduct a public hearing aimed at identifying both the immediate and long-term causes of the grid disturbances and formulating solutions to prevent future occurrences.

In its statement, NERC emphasised that the unbundling of the System Operator function from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was already underway, with the ultimate goal of establishing an ISO. This transition, it is hoped, will lead to improved investment in infrastructure and more disciplined grid management practices.

The commission added that details of the forthcoming public hearing would be published soon and encouraged stakeholders to participate in this critical discussion on resolving Nigeria’s power grid challenges.

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