Incessant grid collapses plunge Nigeria into darkness

Nigeria’s persistent power woes have taken a dramatic turn as the national grid continues to suffer frequent and debilitating collapses. These recurring blackouts have crippled businesses, stifled economic growth, and severely impacted the daily lives of millions of Nigerians.

2024 has been a year marked by frequent and disruptive collapses of Nigeria’s national power grid. Between January and the first week of November, the national grid has suffered up to ten (10) disruptive collapses:

January – March 2024
The year began with a series of grid failures, with three occurring within the first three months. These early collapses highlighted the ongoing fragility of the power grid and its inability to meet the nation’s growing energy demands.

April – June 2024
The grid experienced a brief period of relative stability during these months, with only two reported collapses. However, experts warned that the underlying issues plaguing the grid had not been adequately addressed.

July – September 2024
The grid’s reliability deteriorated once again, with four collapses reported during this period. These failures caused widespread blackouts across the country, impacting businesses, households, and essential services.

October 2024
October proved to be the most challenging month for the power grid, with three collapses occurring within a single week. These frequent outages sparked public outrage and renewed calls for urgent reforms in the power sector.

November 2024
As of early November, the grid has already collapsed twice, bringing the total number of failures in 2024 to ten. These ongoing disruptions have had a significant negative impact on the Nigerian economy and the daily lives of citizens.

The toll on Nigerians is that the incessant power cuts have far-reaching consequences for Nigerians. Businesses of all sizes, from small-scale enterprises to large corporations, rely on a stable power supply. Frequent blackouts disrupt operations, reduce productivity, and hinder economic growth. Our hospitals and clinics are heavily reliant on electricity to power life-saving equipment. Power outages can lead to the loss of lives, especially in critical care units. And most of all, there is social discomfort and educational disruption.

A Brighter Future with Renewable Energy
As Nigeria grapples with the persistent challenges of its traditional power infrastructure, there is a growing call for a shift towards renewable energy sources. Solar, wind, and hydropower offer sustainable and reliable alternatives to fossil fuels. By investing in renewable energy, Nigeria can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, creating green jobs as the renewable energy sector can create employment opportunities, stimulating economic growth, reducing poverty, improving air quality, and ensuring energy security, making Nigeria less vulnerable to global energy price fluctuations.

The draft of the National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (NREEEP) by the Energy Commission of Nigeria under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology indicates that the ECN started draughting the first edition of the National Energy Policy in 1992, which recognised the need to incorporate the adoption of renewable energy policy. Approvals were done in 2023 by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The resulting policy covered the exploitation, exploration, and utilisation of all renewable energy sources, as well as the deployment of energy efficiency and conservation technologies.

According to chapter two of the NREEEP, Nigeria’s renewable energy resource base is enormous, and these include solar, wind, hydro, hydrogen, and other renewable energy sources (geothermal, tidal, and ocean waves, etc.). In twenty years, Nigeria’s population is expected to double, and aggregate energy demand will triple. Conventional energy sources alone will not meet the challenges of an increasing population at affordable costs and in a flexible manner. To meet the rapidly growing demand for energy and the challenges posed by climate change, there has to be a conscious effort to increasingly include renewable energy in the nation’s energy mix.

Renewable energy has the potential to create jobs, improve livelihoods, and open up the market in rural areas. Increasing demand for rural water supply, lighting, health services, and the needs of microenterprises are already driving the market for PVs. This trend will continue to drive small hydro and wind power plants if the supporting legislative and regulatory structures are put in place.

Hydropower is one of the major sources of base-load electricity generation in Nigeria. Nigeria is well endowed with large rivers and a few natural falls, which are responsible for the high hydropower potential of the country. The Rivers Niger and Benue, and their numerous tributaries, constitute the core of the Nigerian river system, which offers a renewable source of energy for large schemes.

The total exploitable large-scale hydropower potential of Nigeria is estimated at over 14,120 MW, capable of producing 50,832 GWh of electricity annually. Only about 13.50% of the nation’s large hydropower potential has been developed. The small hydropower potential of Nigeria is estimated at 3,500 MW, of which only 60.58 MW, representing about 1.70%, has been developed. There is an urgent need to develop small hydropower plants for the provision of electricity for rural areas and remote settlements.

Nigeria lies within a high sunshine belt. Solar radiation is fairly well distributed within the country. The annual average of total solar radiation varies from about 12.6 MJ/m2 in the coastal latitudes to about 25.2 MJ/m2 in the far north.

The use of solar energy technologies in Nigeria is improving, especially in the areas of street lighting, water pumping, and rural electrification. However, more needs to be done in the development of solar technology equipment and standards for materials, design, and equipment manufacture. The United Nations’ target for 2013 was to increase renewable energy usage by 50% and reduce the reliance on conventional energy sources by 50%. The policies shall align with the Renewable Energy Master Plan to harmonise them.

Dr. Abdullahi Mustapha, the Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, has demonstrated unwavering dedication to Nigeria’s renewable energy initiatives. His leadership has been instrumental in driving the nation towards a sustainable energy future. By spearheading various projects and advocating for policies that promote renewable energy adoption, Dr Mustapha is making significant strides in addressing Nigeria’s energy challenges and securing a brighter energy future for the country. More can still be done by collaborating with private firms to achieve the same objectives. Konexa, a UK-based energy developer and investor, is making significant strides in Nigeria’s renewable energy landscape. By partnering with Nigerian Breweries to power three of its strategic plants, Konexa is not only demonstrating its commitment to sustainable energy solutions but also contributing to Nigeria’s green energy transition. This collaboration sets a strong precedent for the private sector’s role in driving renewable energy adoption and fostering a more sustainable future for Nigeria. Other sustainable and progressive collaborations in this drive will make us greener as a country.

In the coming days, I will be embarking on fieldwork for the Renewable Energy Awareness Campaign, which will include community outreach, educational workshops, renewable energy tours, and renewable energy policy advocacy.

For Nigeria, to achieve her goals of sustainable socio-economic development, the need for renewable energy cannot be overemphasised. The Nigerian power crisis can be addressed easily through SDG 7, and to overcome these challenges and achieve SDG 7, Nigeria needs to invest in renewable energy by prioritising investment in solar, wind, and hydropower to diversify the energy mix and reduce reliance on fossil fuels; upgrading and modernising the power grid to minimise transmission and distribution losses; implementing policies and programmes to encourage energy-efficient technologies and practices; streamlining regulations and creating a conducive environment for private sector investment in the energy sector; and, above all, encouraging community-based renewable energy projects to provide electricity to remote areas.

It is imperative for the Nigerian government, private sector, and international partners to collaborate and prioritise investments in renewable energy. By embracing clean energy solutions, Nigeria can not only overcome its current power crisis but also position itself as a leader in sustainable development.

AJOBIEWE SAMSON OJO
Samsonajobiewe@gmail.com
+2348034517968
Samson is an HSEQ Professional and an MSc student of Energy Transition and Sustainability, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun Warri, Delta State