Blackout Alert: Nigeria’s Power Disruption Blamed On Grid Disturbance, Not Full Collapse

The recent power outage affecting parts of Nigeria on Wednesday has been attributed to a “grid disturbance,” according to operators of the National Grid.

This clarification came hours after Nigerians voiced their frustrations on social media over sudden power cuts, sparking fears of another National Grid collapse.

In response to the public concern, the National Grid operators released a statement on their official X account, neither confirming nor denying a grid collapse but cautioning the public against misinformation.

“Beware of Fake News Merchants!” the brief statement warned.

Later, an updated statement clarified the situation, stating that the outage resulted from a grid disturbance rather than a full collapse.

“There was a GRID DISTURBANCE before noon today,” the statement read. “Parts of the country experienced outages. Further information will be provided shortly.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, has voiced strong concerns about the increasing burden of rising electricity tariffs and excessive taxation on Nigerian workers, calling the situation intolerable.

In a press briefing after meeting with government officials last week, Ajaero criticized the current tax policies, arguing that they are disproportionately affecting workers.

His comments come amid ongoing discussions between labour leaders and the federal government over a recent 50% hike in telecom tariffs.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved the tariff increase on January 20, prompting the NLC to announce a nationwide protest scheduled for February 4. However, following negotiations, the protest was postponed for two weeks.

A 10-member committee, with equal representation from the government and the NLC, has been established to review the tariff hike and recommend potential solutions.