The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced a complete shutdown of the nation’s power grid due to actions by labour unions, marking the beginning of a nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
This industrial action, which commenced on Monday, is in protest against the Federal Government’s proposal of a N60,000 minimum wage.
In a statement issued on Monday morning by TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah, it was confirmed that the national grid was deliberately shut down by workers, resulting in a nationwide blackout.
The statement, titled “Grid Shutdown: Union Deliberately Shuts Down the National Grid,” detailed the events leading to the grid’s collapse.
The shutdown occurred at approximately 2:19 am on June 3, 2024. Prior to this, at around 1:15 am, the Benin Transmission Operator, part of the Independent System Operations unit of TCN, reported that all operators had been forcibly removed from the control room.
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Staff who resisted were reportedly beaten and injured. Without any supervision, the Benin Area Control Centre was completely shut down.
Additional transmission substations affected by the union’s actions include the Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba, and Osogbo substations. Furthermore, several transmission lines were disconnected due to the strike.
On the power generation side, TCN reported that several generating units were forced to shut down. At the Jebba Generating Station, one unit was shut down while three others ceased operations due to high frequency and system instability, leading to the grid’s eventual collapse at 2:19 am.
Efforts to recover and stabilize the grid began at 3:23 am, with TCN attempting to use the Shiroro Substation to supply electricity to the Katampe Transmission Substation.
However, the labour union continues to obstruct these recovery efforts, hindering the restoration of normal bulk electricity transmission to distribution load centers nationwide.
The TCN reassured the public that efforts to restore and stabilize the grid are ongoing. Further updates on the situation are expected.
