The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that it would launch an investigation into the recent surge in grid disturbances that have led to widespread power outages across the country.
The latest grid disturbance, which occurred earlier today, for the third time in a week, was triggered by an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station at 08:15 a.m., according to the NERC.
“However, efforts to restore supply have advanced with power significantly restored, as at 1300hrs, in 33 states and the FCT,” said the NERC in a statement.
However, as at the time of writing this report, checks on the Transmission company of Nigeria’s website disputes this. The total load allocation is 810MV with some areas recording 0:00 MV.
In a statement, NERC highlighted its concern that the grid disturbances are undermining the gains made in addressing Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit. “In line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, the unbundling of the System Operator function (ISO) out of Transmission Company of Nigeria Plc is ongoing with the expectation that an independent SO would engender more discipline in grid management and optimised investment in infrastructure.”
NERC also announced plans to hold a public investigative hearing to determine the immediate and underlying causes of the recurring grid failures. The date and venue for the hearing will be made public soon, with the commission urging stakeholders to participate in the discussions.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria has one of the lowest electricity access rates per capita globally, with over 85 million Nigerians still lacking grid electricity. “This represents 43% percent of the country’s population and makes Nigeria the country with the largest energy access deficit in the world,” says the World Bank
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