The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the federal government to carry out a comprehensive audit of the power‑sector infrastructure and to review the current privatisation model. The call follows a collapse of the national grid that left many states without electricity. The labour movement is asking the government to stop using public resources to support privatised entities and instead redirect funds toward a public‑led initiative that would build new generation capacity and revitalize transmission infrastructure.
NLC president Joe Ajaero said the government’s plan to invest N4 trillion in the sector should be channeled into a public‑led programme rather than handed over to Generation Companies (Gencos) and Distribution Companies (Discos). The movement is demanding a full public audit of the entire power sector and a fundamental review of the privatisation model in order to revive this critical industry.
The latest incident occurred when a system disturbance triggered blackouts across several parts of the country. Only 20 MW of supply was available to the Ibadan Distribution Company out of the 12 power distributors nationwide. The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) announced that it had begun restoring the national electricity grid, having recovered about 495 MW of the more than 4,000 MW that were previously available. By 8:21 pm, electricity had been restored to 1,583 MW, with Abuja Disco receiving the largest share at 243 MW, followed by Ikeja Disco with 239 MW and Eko Disco with 204 MW.
NISO attributed the outage to the tripping of a Genco facility, which caused a significant load drop that cascaded to other Gencos and led to the system disturbance. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and other Discos announced power outages affecting their franchise areas via social media. AEDC confirmed that the outage resulted from a loss of supply from the national grid at 11:23 am. Other Discos, including Kano Disco and Ikeja Electric, also reported a complete loss of supply to their feeders and urged customers to remain patient and vigilant during the restoration process.
The NLC’s call for a comprehensive audit and a review of the privatisation model underscores the urgent need to address Nigeria’s power‑sector challenges. With the government planning to invest N4 trillion, the labour movement is pushing for a public‑led initiative to build new generation capacity and revitalize 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 shaping the next steps for the sector.
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