The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the federal government to conduct a comprehensive audit of the power sector infrastructure and review the privatisation model. This comes after the national grid collapsed, leaving many states in darkness. The labour movement is urging the government to stop deploying public resources to support privatised entities and instead redirect funds towards a public-led initiative to build new generation capacity and revitalise transmission infrastructure.
The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, stated that the government’s plan to invest N4 trillion in the sector should be used to support a public-led initiative rather than handing it over to Generation Companies (Gencos) and Distribution Companies (Discos). The labour movement is demanding a comprehensive public audit of the entire power sector and a fundamental review of the privatisation model to revive the critical sector.
The latest incident occurred when a system disturbance led to blackouts in several parts of the country, with only 20MW supply available to the Ibadan Distribution Company (Disco) out of the 12 power distributors in the country. However, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) announced that it had begun restoring the national electricity grid, with about 495MW restored out of the over 4,000MW available earlier.
As of 8:21 pm, electricity had been restored to the tune of 1,583MW, with Abuja Disco receiving the lion’s share of 243MW, followed by Ikeja Disco with 239MW, and Eko Disco with 204MW. The NISO attributed the incident to the tripping of a Genco facility, resulting in a significant load drop that cascaded to other Gencos, leading to a system disturbance.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and other Discos had announced a power outage affecting their franchise areas via social media handles. The AEDC confirmed that the outage was due to a loss of supply from the national grid, which occurred at 11:23 am. Other Discos, including Kano Disco and Ikeja Electric, also reported a complete loss of supply to their feeders, urging customers to remain patient and vigilant during the restoration process.
The NLC’s call for a comprehensive audit and review of the privatisation model highlights the need for urgent action to address the country’s power sector challenges. With the government’s planned investment of N4 trillion in the sector, the labour movement is pushing for a public-led initiative to build new generation capacity and revitalise transmission infrastructure, rather than relying on privatised entities. The outcome of the investigation into the system disturbance and the government’s response to the NLC’s demands will be crucial in determining the next steps for the power sector.
