BY: Oluwaseye Ogunsanya
Claim
Multiple X users made a series of posts claiming that the national grid has collapsed.
Verdict: Misleading.
Full Text
Multiple X users made a post claiming that the national grid has collapsed.
Photo Credit: Screenshot of the claim/X
Photo Credit: Screenshot of the claim/X
Photo Credit: Screenshot of the claim/X
In 2024, Nigeria’s national grid experienced recurring power disruptions as it collapsed over 10 times, causing widespread outages across the country.
The minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had attributed the frequent grid collapses to vandalism and equipment theft while the Federal Government also stated that the frequent collapses are due to the inability of the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to adequately receive power generated by the grid. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) also explained in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Nigeria produces enough power, but the distribution companies “reject the power due to their fragile systems.”
Verification
In a bid to ascertain the veracity of the claim, FactCheckAfrica came across a post by Nigeria National Grid, a page that provides real-time National grid update on X debunking the claim.
“KINDLY IGNORE RUMOUR OF A GRID COLLAPSE TODAY.
IT IS FALSE!” It posted.
Photo Credit: Screenshot of Nigeria National Grid’s Post/X
Similarly, The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, also debunked the claim in a statement signed by Ndidi Mbah, GM, Public Affairs, stating that the nation’s grid did not experience any collapse today, contrary to the widely published misinformation in the media.
Photo Credit: The TCN statement/X
The statement further explained that the incident occurred earlier today, at about 13:41Hrs, when the Osogbo – Ihovbor line tripped, followed by the tripping of the Benin – Omotosho line. These consequently affected bulk supply to only Lagos axis alone.
“It is important to clarify that at about 13:00 Hrs, today, just before the tripping, total generation on the grid was 4,335.63MW. After the trippings, however, generation was 2,573.23MW, showing clearly that the grid did not experience a collapse.
“The transmission line tripping affected Egbin, Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Geregu, and Paras, but these have all been restored except for the Benin – Omotosho 330kV line whose restoration is ongoing.
“As TCN continues to work hard to put in place a robust transmission grid, inspite of prevailing challenges. It is imperative that we understand the negative impact of deliberately misinforming the public and the value of disseminating true and verifiable facts.” The post reads.
Conclusion
Based on the TCN statement and National Grid post on X, it can be concluded that the National Grid did not collapse as widely claimed.
