Nationwide Blackout Hits Nigeria as Labour Unions Shut Down Power Grid
A nationwide blackout has hit Nigeria after the Labour Unions, NLC and TUC, shut down the national power grid in support of their indefinite strike. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced the blackout in a statement, saying the unions forced staff out of the control room and shut down transmission substations.
The blackout occurred at 2:19 a.m. on Monday, June 3, 2024, after the Benin transmission operator reported the incident at 1:15 a.m. TCN said some transmission lines were opened, and power generating units were forced to shut down, leading to a high frequency and system instability that eventually shut down the national grid.
TCN has commenced grid recovery efforts but faces obstruction from the labour union’s activities. The company promises to continue efforts to recover and stabilize the grid to restore normal bulk transmission of electricity nationwide.
The labour unions began their indefinite strike on Monday, June 3, 2024, over the federal government’s failure to meet their demands, including a new minimum wage and the reversal of the recent increase in electricity tariffs.
