Dear reader,
Since late last year, many Nigerians have been facing power cuts or are forced to use generators to power their homes and workplaces, due to the countrywide electricity shortage .
For a long time, Nigerians have wondered about the causes of this decline in electricity supply, but no competent agency has been willing to provide concrete explanations.
However, on Thursday, January 25, 2024, the company responsible for electricity transmission in the country, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), provided some explanations for the persistence of this lingering darkness.
In a press release by its Director of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, TCN said the electricity shortage affecting electricity consumers across the country is caused by the gas shortage.
She revealed that there had been a gradual decrease in electricity generation available in the national grid due to gas constraints for power generation companies, adding that this situation had an impact on the quantity of electricity available for transmission to electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in the country.
This explanation confirms the position of the distribution companies which had already exonerated themselves from any responsibility regarding the electricity supply situation.
For example, Eko’s electricity distribution company had previously stated that the electricity supply problem was caused by a gas shortage.
To bolster the DisCos’ arguments, the TCN revealed that the load distributed to distribution centers has reduced significantly, emphasizing that it can only transmit what is produced.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN hereby announces that there has been a gradual decrease in generation available in the grid due to gas constraints for thermal power plants, which has impacted the amount of bulk electricity available on the transmission network for transmission to distribution centers across the country,” Mbah said.
Why there’s no hope in sight
This is not the first time Nigerians have found themselves in this situation. In 2023 alone, the national grid experienced 12 outages, plunging the country into darkness each time.
Although the current challenge may be different, Nigerians are expecting solutions with specific timelines, but unfortunately, no assurances are being given by the authorities.
Although the TCN spokesperson said the company was working with other players in the energy sector to maintain the network, she did not give a timetable for fully resolving the gas shortage in order to guarantee a regular electricity supply.
“TCN is doing its utmost in collaboration with energy sector stakeholders to maintain the network in good condition despite the current low electricity production in the system.
“Due to the current load on the network, the load distributed to the distribution centers has also decreased, because the TCN can only transmit what is produced,” she explained.
Mbah also said the company “is committed to gradually increasing electricity supply to load centers as gas improves at available thermal power plants.”
It is therefore clear that the persistent electricity shortage in Nigeria is directly linked to the shortage of gas for power plants. Without a near-term resolution to this gas crisis, Nigerians will have to continue to live in darkness or rely on generators for their electricity supply. The country urgently needs investment in gas and electricity infrastructure to resolve this recurring problem and ensure a stable and reliable supply of electricity for all.