Nationwide Blackout as Electricity Grid Collapses Again
Again, many parts of Nigeria were left in darkness yesterday, as the national grid abruptly lost over 2,000 megawatts, resulting in about the second supply disturbance for the year 2025.
This occurred same day the federal government condemned Thursday’s attack by the personnel of the Nigerian Air Force on the headquarters and facilities of the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC), a development that left several persons injured and equipment vandalised.
Also, yesterday, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), the umbrella body of Discos, asked the Nigerian Air Force, the military, and the presidency to fish out officers and men of the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja, that attacked staff and journalists at Ikeja Disco.
The Director General of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, urged the federal government to offset all outstanding electricity supply debts of military bases across the country.
The collapse of the grid which took place around 2pm yesterday, saw generation to the national grid fall from circa 3,366mw to 1,517mw.
In a statement made available on X, formerly Twitter, Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) alerted its customers to the situation, stressing that the relevant authorities were doing everything to restore supply.
“Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today 07/03/2025 @ 14:00hrs, affecting supply within our network. Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders,” it stated.
On its part, Eko Disco blamed a reduction in supply from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), stressing that it led to unavoidable load shedding across its network.
“This is to kindly inform you that the current power situation is as a result of reduced power allocation from our TCN partners aimed at maintaining grid stability. The situation has resulted in unavoidable load shedding across our network.
“Rest assured that we are taking all necessary steps to address the situation as we work closely with TCN and other partners to resolve the issue speedily and ensure a more stable power supply soonest,” it said.
However, the Disco stated that at about 5.30pm the TCN had begun to gradually restore supply to its feeders.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in a statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser, Strategic Communications, Bolaji Tunji, said the attack on Ikeja Disco called for concern in view of its grave overall ramifications.
Adelabu added that the current democratic practice has appropriate channels for conflict resolution, rather than a brutal resort to self help.
“The attack on the facilities of Ikeja Electric, one of our nation’s critical power distribution companies by the Nigerian Airforce is unfortunate and a matter of grave concern to our nation, which stands totally condemned.
“This unfortunate incident has also raised serious questions about the need for restraint, dialogue, and the use of appropriate democratic channels in resolving conflicts,” the minister added.
The minister noted that the power sector remains the lifeblood of the nation’s economy and a cornerstone of national development, arguing that any attack on Nigeria’s infrastructure is an attack on the progress and wellbeing of the people.
“The facilities of Ikeja Electric, which serve millions of Nigerians, were designed to ensure the efficient distribution of electricity to homes, hospitals, schools, and industries including military installations.
“This incident has set back our efforts to achieve stable and uninterrupted power supply, and it is a blow to the collective aspirations of our nation,” the minister said.
Adelabu emphasised that no grievance, no matter how legitimate, justifies the destruction of public infrastructure, noting that such actions are counterproductive and only serve to exacerbate the challenges Nigerians face as a nation,” he added.
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The minister urged the Nigerian Air Force to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and to ensure that its operations are conducted with utmost regard for the welfare of civilians and public infrastructure.
Adelabu commended the staff and management of Ikeja electricity distribution company for their resilience in the face of provocation, stressing that their comportment in the face of adversity was a testament to their dedication to serving the Nigerian people.
“The federal ministry of power stands ready to support you in any way possible to ensure that normalcy is restored as quickly as possible,” he pointed out.
Also, for ANED, in an interview on TVC yesterday, the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Oduntan, said the association would not relent in seeking redress until justice is done.
He said: “I want to believe that we’re in a sane country. I still want to believe that we’re better than we were in 1978 when Fela’s house was invaded. So, we want to see what will happen. We have to see what the presidency will do, and the military authorities too, because normally, heads must roll; not should roll, heads must roll.
“For people to leave Ikeja Air Force Base fully armed in trucks, to go somewhere and start beating civilians; they made them lie down on the floor of the Air Force base, more than a hundred people, and beat them repeatedly, someone must pay for this.”
Oduntan said the invasion of the IKEDC could be likened to a coup against all the Discos, describing it as a very traumatic experience.
Also weighing in on the matter, the Director General of NECA, Oyerinde, urged the federal government to offset all outstanding electricity supply debts of military bases across the country.
Speaking on the attack, Oyerinde frowned at the development noting that such action is unlawful and capable of diminishing the headways made in democratic governance in the country over the years.
According to him, “The federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Finance and Federal Ministry of Defense, should swiftly intervene in this graceless attack on IKEDC such that the amount owed to the company will be paid to them, while electricity supply is restored to the base.
“The IKEDC operates in a capital intensive space and that operation has been grossly affected by the prevailing operating environment.
“Therefore, the government should leverage this attack to set up a committee to carry out a holistic appraisal of electricity supply debt profiles of other military bases across the country.
“Where such debt is found, arrangements should be made to swiftly defray them to adequately preclude a repeat of the attack on the DisCos anywhere in the country going forward.”
Oyerinde observed that such an intimidation and attack on a company of the calibre of IKEDC showed a high level of impunity and is a bad omen for the future of the economy.
According to him, the attack was a wrong signal for prospective domestic and foreign investors as no rational investor would invest money in a country where his investments and personnel are compromised with such impunity as displayed by the NAF personnel from Ikeja Airforce Base.
“It is unfortunate that while the federal government is working effortlessly to address the basic macroeconomic goals of growth of the economy and employment creation, some individuals are unscrupulously and deliberately undermining the efforts,” Oyerinde said.
He noted that IKEDC is a private entity that invests money to make gains for the sustainability of the company.
“The company is also a strong employment generator with over 2,600 employees that depend on the company to maintain their families,” he said.
The director general also emphasised that IKEDC, as a private business that is lawfully registered in Nigeria, has the right to demand from the Sam Ethan Airforce Base management accumulated outstanding electricity debt owed to the company and also suspend its service for non-payment.
He stressed the urgency and critical importance to prevent the recurrence of such national embarrassment in view of the negative implication on the promising democracy of the country and the fragile investment space.
