The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported a deliberate shutdown of the national grid by a striking labour union, resulting in a nationwide power outage.
The disruption occurred at approximately 2:19 am on Monday, according to a statement from TCN’s Public Affairs Manager, Ndidi Mbah.
The incident began earlier, at 1:15 am, when operators at the Benin Transmission Operator under TCN’s Independent System Operations unit were forcibly removed from their control room. Staff members who resisted were reportedly beaten, and some sustained injuries. This forced evacuation led to the Benin Area Control Centre being brought to a complete halt.
Key transmission substations affected by the shutdown include Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba, and Osogbo. Additionally, several transmission lines were disrupted due to the union’s actions.
On the power generation front, multiple units across different generating stations were forced to shut down. The Jebba Generating Station had one of its units shut down, and three additional units subsequently ceased operations due to very high frequency, causing system instability and leading to the national grid’s shutdown at 2:19 am.
Efforts to restore power began at 3:23 am, with TCN initiating grid recovery using the Shiroro Substation to supply electricity to the Katampe Transmission Substation. However, the labour union’s continued obstruction has hindered full grid recovery.
TCN assures the public that they are working tirelessly to stabilise the grid and restore normal bulk transmission of electricity to distribution load centers nationwide.
