TheNewsGuru

Tag: National Grid

  • States lack power to fix tariffs for electricity generated from national grid – NERC tells Enugu Govt

    States lack power to fix tariffs for electricity generated from national grid – NERC tells Enugu Govt

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) lacks the authority to determine electricity tariffs when the power is generated and transmitted from the national grid.

    NERC made this known in a statement published on its website on Friday in Abuja, while clarifying that although the 2023 Electricity Act (EA) empowers States to regulate electricity within their jurisdiction, “States do not have jurisdiction over the national grid and over electric power stations established under Federal laws/operating under licences issued by the commission”.

    Recall that EERC recently reduced the tariff for Band A customers from ₦209.5/kWh to ₦160.4/kWh.

    NERC stressed that State Electricity Regulatory Commission must holistically incorporate the wholesale costs of grid supply to their states without any qualification or deviation in their design of tariffs for end-use customers in order not to distort the dynamics of the market.

    “Or be prepared to make a policy intervention by way of a subsidy for any deviation in the tariff structure that distorts the wholesale generation, transmission and legacy financing costs in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI),” the statement reads.

    The statement disclosed that NERC was aware of stakeholders’ concerns over EERC’s tariff order to Mainpower Electricity Distribution Ltd, which depend solely on power from the national grid.

    It said that NESI stakeholders had expressed concern about the consequences of the reduction of tariffs for Band A customers in MEDL’s network area to NGN160.4 per kWh.

    “And the freezing of tariffs of customers in the other bands on the wholesale generation and transmission costs along with the financing costs for legacy obligations in NESI.

    “It is pertinent to state that the NGN160.4 per kWh was arrived at largely by reducing the current average Generation Tariff of NGN112.60 per kWh to NGN45.75, with an assumption of subsidy component, a difference of N66.85 per kWh,” it said.

    According to the statement,  Section 34(1) of the EA places a statutory obligation on the commission to “create, promote and preserve efficient electricity industry and market structures, and ensures the optimal utilisation of resources for the provision of electricity.”

    It added that the commission was also aware that EERC as a sub-national electricity regulator also had a similar statutory obligation in their enabling law.

    The statement noted that neither NERC nor EERC as responsible regulatory institutions would take decisions that exposed the national grid and wholesale electricity market to a financial crisis in contravention of express powers granted to them by the Constitution.

    It added that the commission was currently engaging EERC on their tariff order as it related to any perceived area of misinterpretation/misunderstanding on wholesale generation and transmission costs on their import of power from the national grid and grants.

    The commission gave assurance of its unwavering statutory commitment that the electricity market would be made whole in terms of cost recovery in compliance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Weaning states from the national grid – By Pius Mordi

    Weaning states from the national grid – By Pius Mordi

    Last week, an ecstatic Sheriff Oborevwori signed into law, a bill he touted as a “game changer”. It was the Delta State Electricity Power Sector Law Bill 2024. Since the Electricity Distribution Companies were created in what was supposed to be a commercialisation and privatisation exercise, it had been a tale of betrayal of whatever may have inspired the programme under former President Goodluck Jonathan. The DISCOs turned out to be colossal failures for which the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has the dishonour of being the most abysmal performer.

    For a sector that determines the success or lack of it of an economy, the stagnated growth of Nigeria is not tough to discern. President Bola Tinubu seemed to have realised this in his days as governor of Lagos State. He recruited Enron, a private firm, that installed the first plant for generation and distribution of electricity. That venture would have pioneered the ultimate liberalisation of the energy sector and unbundle the disgraceful national grid that has kept Nigeria down and stunted since Independence. While the country was administratively structured as a federation, it was not adopted in the generation and distribution of electricity. While education, health and other critical sectors created a level playing field with every region at liberty to evolve its own strategy, in the first republic, such competitive atmosphere was denied the energy sector.

    While the first television station in Africa came from Nigeria courtesy of the Western Region and many other firsts from the lively competition among the regions, electricity was tied to the dumb elephant that is the exclusive list. As the the federal government steadily presided over the evolution of Nigeria into a dark nation, so has the entire nation been bogged down by officialdom, corruption, absence of a coherent energy policy and indolence. While no state could venture into investing into the energy sector due to constitutional impediments, the country was burdened with successive teams of misfits that had no idea what was needed to drive the growth of the economy and power industrialisation.
    According to Godknows Igali, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Energy in 2015, over N2.74 trillion‎ has been spent on the power sector since 1999. This is not today’s trillion which amounts to just about two billion naira. It was much more. The Nigeria Integrated Power Project (NIPP), one of the several initiatives taken to boost power generation and distribution, received $8.3 billion from excess crude account alone to fund 10 power plants only. Despite the investigations carried out by the National Assembly, it is difficult to ascertain the true state of the plants. If there is any reliable indicator of the success of the initiatives, the real output of power for distribution on the national grid should tell it all.

    The average daily power generation in Nigeria typically hovers around 4,000MW daily, although this figure can fluctuate depending on various factors, including season, weather conditions, and infrastructure issues. While the total installed capacity in Nigeria exceeds this amount, the actual power dispatched to the grid is often lower, leading to power shortages. Even though, Nigeria’s total installed generation capacity is said to be significantly higher, potentially exceeding 12,500MW, the power dispatched to the grid is often significantly lower and hovers around 4,000 megawatts.

    With a land mass of 923,768 km², it is just implausible that a policy could be formulated to have a common grid for a country of such size. It was designed to fail and will continue to fail. The amendment effected on the 1999 constitution that transferred energy to the concurrent list represents the platform for addressing Nigeria’s energy challenge. Unfortunately, the federal government and the interest groups promoting a corresponding federal agenda to boost electricity distribution is still receiving attention. The move has denied the energising needed from the federal government to make investments by the private sector and states more attractive.

    To Oborevwori, he has a template to fall back on. A few years ago, Ifeanyi Okowa as Delta State governor, got on stream a programme that weaned all government institutions in the state from the epileptic national grid. The Asaba Independent Power Project, a gas-powered plant that generates 8.5 megawatts of electricity, is the product of a collaboration with a private company. It supplies power to the Government House and the ultra modern secretariat. It is a blueprint to leverage on.
    As Oborevwori pointed out while signing the electricity bill into law, the new law actively encourages PPP arrangements for financing and managing infrastructure projects, including power generation.

    The state offers tax breaks, subsidies, and guarantees to attract private investment in power generation and renewable energy projects.
    Delta State is developing clear and transparent regulatory frameworks to build investor confidence in the power sector. So should other states. That is the way to go, not waiting for Abuja.

    Postscript
    Umahi, the nightmare is back in Asaba

    At the peak of the rainy season in 2024, when the main artery to the Niger bridge had completely collapsed, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori sought to alleviate the nightmare road users were having, officials of David Umahi’s Ministry of Works intervened to stop the Commissioner for Works, Charles Aniagwu, from proceeding with the assignment his boss gave him.

    According to the Works Ministry officials, contract had already been awarded in Abuja for the rehabilitation of the road that links Anambra State through the old Niger bridge.
    In truth, the contractor moved to site and the deep gullies and muddy water caused heavy gridlock at the Ezenei area and laid boulder stones, hardcore, and a stone base on the failed portions of the road. The actual reconstruction that ought to have commenced at the end of the rains never got off the ground. The contractor is said moved out of the site.

    A new rainy season has caught up with the failed sections and the nightmare has returned. This is calling on Minister David Umahi to save road users that traverse the critical highway to the east.

  • Blackout as National grid suffers partial collapse

    Blackout as National grid suffers partial collapse

    The national grid being operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has suffered a partial collapse, plunging several cities across the country into a blackout.

    TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) reports the outage was attributed to a partial system failure from the TCN, which has continued to struggle with maintenance issues.

    Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) on Friday announced that the system outage around 2:00 p.m., informing customers of the disruption.

    “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today 07/03/2025, at 14:00 hours, affecting supply within our network. Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders,” the company said.

    Eko Electricity Distribution Company also confirmed the situation, stating, “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.”

    Despite the disruption, the distribution companies assured customers that efforts were underway to restore electricity in collaboration with key stakeholders.

  • Operators of national grid give reason for blackout in some parts of Nigeria

    Operators of national grid give reason for blackout in some parts of Nigeria

    Operators of the National Grid have explained the reason for the power outage experienced in some parts of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that nation’s electricity grid collapsed again on Wednesday at 11:34 am, this is according to the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company via its handle on X.

    However, minutes after the development, operators of the National Grid via their official X account, issued a statement.

    “Beware of Fake News Merchants!” the terse statement read.

    The statement, however, failed to either confirm or deny fears about a grid collapse but simply warned against fake news.

    In an updated statement, the operators clarified that what occurred was not a grid collapse, but a grid disturbance affecting some locations in the country.

    “There was a “GRID DISTURBANCE” before noon today.

    “Parts of the country experienced outage.

    “Further information shortly,” the updated statement read.

  • Just in: Another total darkness as National grid collapses again

    Just in: Another total darkness as National grid collapses again

     

    The nation’s electricity grid has collapsed again in Nigeria as announced by its managers.

    It reportedly collapsed before noon on Wednesday.

    This was revealed in the X handle created for reports on the grid @NationalGridNg

    “There was a ‘GRID DISTURBANCE’ before noon today. Parts of the country experienced outage. Further information shortly,” the post read.

    Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company reported on X that the system outage happened at 11:34 am.

    “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today 12th February, 2025 at 11:34hrs affecting all our feeders.

    “Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders,” the company wrote.

    Abuja Electricity Distribution Company also confirmed the development on X.

    “Dear Valued Customer, we regret to inform you that a system disturbance occurred on the national grid at 11:34 am today causing a power outage across our franchise areas.

    “While gradual restoration of power supply has commenced, please be assured that we are working closely with relevant stakeholders to fully restore electricity as soon as the grid is stabilised. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to serve you better,” the post reads.

    “Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders,” the company wrote.

    This is the first collapse of the grid in 2025 after it experienced line tripping in January.

    The blackout has forced many to express their frustration on social media.

    Netizens reactions:

    Fattybright wrote with the handle @OyedemiBabs: “Two different reasons abeg who to believe now? If not for solar pms expenses for don set in straight. @NationalGridNg please be specific shortly won’t fix what I need original light for oooo anyways thank you for the information.”

    Gambino wrote with the handle @holuwhartoby: “Which one be grid disturbance again? E don collapse abi e neva collapse.”

    Another X user, Ayo Omo Ogun (@MDamsman), noted: “It has been quite a challenging day in Obada, especially with the frustrations caused by @IBEDC_NG. Now, it seems that the introduction of the light grid is adding to our troubles, It’s a lot to handle.”

  • TCN clarifies reported national grid collapse

    TCN clarifies reported national grid collapse

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has denied reports of a national grid collapse on Saturday, calling the claims inaccurate.

    TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, made the clarification in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday.

    Mbah explained that earlier on Saturday, at approximately 1:41 p.m., the Osogbo-Ihovour line tripped, followed by the tripping of the Benin-Omotosho line.

    She noted that these incidents only affected bulk power supply to the Lagos area.

    She further clarified that just before the tripping, total generation on the grid was 4,335.63 Megawatts (MW), and after the trippings, generation dropped to 2,573.23 MW, which indicated the grid did not experience a collapse.

    “The transmission line tripping affected Egbin, Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Geregu, and Paras,”

    She added that all had been restored except for the Benin-Omotosho 330kV line, which was still being worked on.

    Mbah emphasised that TCN was working hard to build a more robust transmission grid in spite of ongoing challenges.

    She also urged caution against the spread of misinformation, stressing the importance of disseminating accurate and verifiable facts.

  • Just in: Another blackout as Nigeria records first national grid collapse in 2025

    Just in: Another blackout as Nigeria records first national grid collapse in 2025

    Nigerians were on Saturday, January 11, 2025, thrown into a nationwide blackout following the collapse of the national power grid.

    This is the first time that the national grid has collapsed in 2025, following a series of system collapses in 2024.

    The grid collapsed about 2 p.m. on Saturday.

    Report said that power generation dropped from 2111.01 megawatts as of 2 p.m. to 390.20 MW by 3 p.m.

    “National grid suffers major collapse… First in 2025,” Energy podcast confirmed the blackout via a post on Saturday.

    “Restoration has begun… Currently generating 302MW as of 02:40 pm,” it said in another post.

    Recall that the national grid collapsed for well over twelve times in 2024.

  • Restoration of national grid has commenced – AEDC

    Restoration of national grid has commenced – AEDC

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has confirmed that the restoration of the collapsed national grid has commenced.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports AEDC made the confirmation while alerting its customers to the collapse of the national grid on Wednesday.

    “Dear Valued Customers, We wish to inform you that a system disturbance occurred on the national grid at 1:32pm today causing power outage across our franchise areas.

    “While gradual restoration of power supply has commenced, be assured that we are coordinating closely with relevant stakeholders to restore power fully as soon as the grid is stabilized,” the AEDC stated.

  • BREAKING: The national grid has collapsed

    BREAKING: The national grid has collapsed

    The national grid, being operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has collapsed again, resulting in blackout across the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the national grid encountered a major setback and collapsed on Wednesday as observed at about 2:05 pm in the FCT.

    As at the time of filing this report, TCN is yet to open up on the national grid collapse. However, it was gathered that restoration efforts are currently ongoing.

    Meanwhile, the Jos electricity distribution company has confirmed the national grid collapse, disclosing that the loss of power supply occurred at about 13:33 hours of today.

    Dr Friday Adakole Elijah, Jos DisCo’s Head of Corporate Communications confirmed the development and said normal power supply would be restored as soon as the grid supply is restored back to normalcy.

    “The current outage being experienced within our franchise States is a result of loss of power supply from the national grid.

    “The loss of power supply from the national grid occurred this afternoon at about 1333 hours of today, Wednesday, 11th December 2024, hence the loss of power supply on all our feeders.

    “We hope to restore normal power supply to our esteemed customers as soon as the grid supply is restored back to normalcy,” Dr Elijah disclosed in a notice to Jos Disco customers.

     

    Details shortly…

  • CARTOON OF THE DAY: Death penalty

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: Death penalty

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: Death penalty