TIMELINE: The 12 times national grid collapsed in 2024
The Nigeria National Grid has suffered collapses and disturbances twelve times in 2024, with the latest incident reported today, Wednesday, December 11.
This string of disruptions has sparked nationwide frustration, leaving Nigerians questioning the stability of the country’s power infrastructure.
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Here’s a rundown of all the grid collapses this year:
February 4, 2024 — The year’s first collapse
The grid faced its first collapse on Sunday, February 4, following a reported system failure by power distribution companies. The incident triggered prolonged blackouts across multiple regions, with distribution firms struggling to restore electricity to affected areas.
March 28, 2024 — Second collapse hits hard
Barely two months later, on Thursday, March 28, the grid crumbled again. Another system failure was cited, leading to extended outages in some areas while others regained power within 24 hours. This second major breakdown intensified calls for urgent reforms in managing the national grid.
April 15, 2024 — Third time’s no charm
Monday, April 15, brought the third grid failure of the year. The outage disrupted industrial zones and key cities, with officials attributing the collapse to frequency imbalances.
July 6, 2024 — Mid-year meltdown
On Saturday, July 6, the grid collapsed yet again, marking the fourth disruption. The widespread blackout disrupted healthcare, manufacturing, and other critical sectors. Authorities promised to reinforce contingency measures to prevent a repeat.
August 5, 2024 — Widespread outage returns
The fifth collapse hit on Monday, August 5, leaving the nation in darkness once more.
October 14, 2024 — Back-to-Back breakdowns begin
Monday, October 14, saw another complete collapse of the grid, sparking outcry from affected businesses and residents. This marked the start of a particularly unstable month.
October 15, 2024 — Partial collapse adds to woes
A day later, on Tuesday, October 15, a partial collapse occurred. Though less severe.
October 19, 2024 — Avoiding a Full Meltdown
On Saturday, October 19, the grid faced another disturbance but avoided a total collapse. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) explained that the incident was a precautionary measure to prevent an explosion at the Jebba transmission substation.
October 22, 2024 — Northern states darkness
By October 22, the grid had collapsed again, leaving 17 states in northern Nigeria without power. TCN blamed the disturbance on vandalism and transmission line malfunctions.
November 5, 2024 — Partial disturbance
The grid suffered a partial failure at 1:52 pm on November 5. TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah revealed that line and generator trippings caused instability in the system, resulting in the outage.
November 7, 2024 — Two collapses in three days
Just two days after the November 5 incident, another collapse occurred. This second blackout in three days left the nation in darkness again. TCN assured Nigerians that restoration efforts were underway.
December 11, 2024 — The latest failure
Today marks the twelfth collapse of the year, adding to the woes of an already troubled power system.
These repeated disruptions in 2024 have shone a harsh light on the challenges facing Nigeria’s energy sector. Many Nigerians are now calling for a complete overhaul of the national grid to prevent further collapses.
National grid collapsed 12 times in 2024: A full recap
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