Again, national grid collapses as Enugu DisCo appeals for calm

Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has confirmed another collapse of the national grid, barely 24 hours after the system dropped to zero mega watts on Monday.

This is also as the DisCo appealed to its customers to remain calm and patient as it addresses a case of another system collapse which occurred, early Tuesday evening.

The EEDC covers the five states in the South East region of the country.

The call was made by EEDC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Emeka Ezeh, in a statement made available to newsmen in Owerri on Tuesday.

Ezeh thanked the Company’s customers for their understanding as it worked to restore supply after a system collapse on March 14.

He, however, said that despite the restoration of supply, the system collapsed again on March 15.

“The Enugu Electricity Distribution PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform its esteemed customers of another system collapse which occurred at 5.10 pm this evening, Tuesday, 15th March, 2022.

“This is coming barely 24 hours after the grid collapse was experienced in the early hours of Monday, March 14, 2022.

“As a result of this unfortunate development, all our outgoing feeders are out and supply to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States has been affected,” he said.

He, however, reassured customers that the company is already on standby, awaiting further directives from the National Control Centre (NCC) for restoration of supply.

It would be recalled that following days of erratic electricity supply that has hit the country, Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu had on Monday summoned an emergency meeting of all the stakeholders in the sector to address the situation.

The current low power generation which has caused epileptic power supply across the country came to a head, on Monday, when the national grid collapsed, reaching an unprecedented zero mega watts power output.

The power collapse hit most parts of the South East, South South West and North Central regions, as Lagos which experienced a total blackout, Monday.

Addressing the stakeholders, the minister warned that must work together to make electricity stable.

Stakeholders invited include; Power Generation Companies (GenCos), Distribution Companies (DisCos), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), NNPC Ltd, Shell and others in the power value chain.

“This meeting was summoned to address the current electricity situation in the country which we are not happy about. We must find solution so that Nigerians will have electricity. I want us to have the patience to talk to each other, not blaming each other,” the minister said in his opening remarks.

Aliyu maintained that Nigerian government will not relent in its effort to make sure that improvements in the power sector is sustained and built upon so that electricity supply improves across Nigeria.

He added that current challenges must be addressed.

The meeting, according to the minister, will find solutions that will ensure prompt resolution of all the problems affecting power generation right now in Nigeria, as he charged them ‘work together to make electricity stable.’

Aliyu maintained that the Federal Government would not relent in its effort to ensure improvements in the power sector.

The meeting, according to the minister, will find solutions to all challenges affecting power generation in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, power generation dropped considerably following the collapse of the national grid to an unprecedented zero mega watts on Monday plunging most parts of the country into total darkness.

The total blackout was recorded in Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, as well as parts of the South West region including Lagos. The Federal Capital Territory was not exempted, Monday.

In Lagos, the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKDC), Monday, apologised to customers for the situation as it assured of gradual restoration of supply but in batches.

Also, in the state, the Eko Distribution Company (EKDC) said it has responded to the situation in electricity supply following the restoration of its allocation to 35 per cent by the federal government.