The President of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo, warned that the national power grid would collapse if electricity generation reached 6,000 megawatts. Nigeria’s highest recorded generation on the grid was 5,802 MW on 1 March 2021, transmitted at a frequency of 50.09 hertz. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported that this peak—5,801.6 MW at 9:30 p.m.—exceeded the previous record of 5,615.4 MW set on 28 February 2021 by 186.20 MW.
Since that peak, generation has fluctuated between 4,000 MW and 5,000 MW despite the growing demand of over 200 million Nigerians. On a recent Friday, the Federal Ministry of Power in Abuja recorded generation at 4,962.7 MW as of 6:00 a.m. Olubiyo explained that regulatory inconsistencies and weak infrastructure are reducing the grid’s electricity‑carrying capacity. “Over the years, due to regulatory flip‑flops and weakness, Nigeria has not been able to surpass 5,800 MW. In fact, if we ever reach 6,000 MW, the grid as a monolithic structure will collapse,” he said.
Sector updates reveal that Nigeria’s power grid collapsed about seven times last year. Notable incidents include a drop from over 3,700 MW to as low as 38 MW on 25 September 2022, a sixth collapse on 20 July 2022, and additional failures on 13 June, twice in March, and twice in April. These disruptions stem from gas constraints, water‑management challenges, pipeline vandalism, and other issues.
Olubiyo urged the incoming administration to prioritize the power sector, calling energy security a key demand of Nigerians and businesses. “Nigeria is a leading OPEC member; it is a global embarrassment that, despite abundant gas and crude reserves, we still lack adequate energy,” he said. He emphasized that gas‑to‑power is essential for the economy and that the current 5,000 MW shared by over 200 million people is far below global standards. Citing United Nations benchmarks, he noted that a population of one million should have access to 1,000 MW, underscoring the need for the new government to focus on achieving energy security.
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