Power grid collapses yet again, 21 plants on zero output by evening of 28 March

Nigerians experienced massive blackout on Thursday, 28 March as in the afternoon of the same day, the grid collapsed controlled from Osogbo, Osun State collapsed around 4:32 p.m. A distribution companies’ (DisCos) source said the feeders for most DisCos nationwide were out of supply. The situation has left virtually all franchise areas for DisCos across the 36 states in darkness the source added, stating that as of 4p.m, the grid output was 2984 megawatts. But by 5 p.m., the 21 plants on the grid had zero output. Azura was the only plant on the grid with an output capacity of about 54 megawatts. Egbin, Afam, Geregu, Ibom Power, Jebba, Kainji, Odukpani, and Olorunsogo, among other plants, all had zero output. In November 2013, the federal government privatised all generation and 11 distribution companies, with the FG retaining the ownership of the transmission company. This was to improve efficiency in the sector. However, since the privatization of the power sector in November 2013, the grid has collapsed over 140 times.