The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has report a deliberate shutdown of the national grid by the Labour Union, resulting in a nationwide blackout.
In a press release signed by Ndidi Mbah, the Public Affairs general managerof TCN disclose that the grid went offline at approximately 2:19 AM Monday 3rd June 2024.
The incident began around 1:15 AM when the Benin Transmission Operator, part of TCN’s Independent System Operations unit, reported that all operators were forcibly removed from the control room. Staff who resisted were assaulted, leading to injuries. Consequently, the Benin Area Control Center ceased operations.
In addition to the Benin substation, the Labour Union also shut down several other key transmission substations, including Ganmo, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba, and Osogbo. This action included opening some transmission lines, exacerbating the situation.
On the power generation side, the Labour Union’s actions forced several generating units to shut down. Notably, the Jebba Generating Station had to shut down one unit, and three others at the same station were subsequently shut down due to very high frequency caused by sudden load cuts, leading to system instability. This cascade of events ultimately caused the national grid to collapse at 2:19 AM.
Efforts to restore the grid began at approximately 3:23 AM, with TCN attempting recovery operations via the Shiroro Substation to supply electricity to the Katampe Transmission Substation. However, ongoing obstructions by the Labour Union continue to hamper these efforts.
The statement adds that the TCN remains committed to restoring and stabilizing the grid to resume normal electricity transmission to distribution centers across the nation.