Uncertainty surrounds the cause of Wednesday’s national grid collapse, which plunged Nigeria into widespread darkness.
Generation companies have attributed the collapse to the suspension of gas supply, citing over ₦2 trillion in legacy debts as the root cause. However, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has denied issuing any directive to gas suppliers to halt supplies to Generation Companies (GenCos) over the debt.
In a statement to DAILY POST on Wednesday, the NMDPRA clarified that reports linking it to the blackout were false.
Speculations of an imminent blackout surfaced after reports claimed NMDPRA had directed gas suppliers to stop supplying GenCos due to unpaid obligations. This was followed by a grid collapse reported at 1:36 PM on Wednesday, marking the 12th such incident in 2024, as confirmed by the Jos Electricity Distribution Company.
The NMDPRA stated the blackout had no connection to its earlier discussions with stakeholders. According to the agency, its recent engagements focused on raising awareness about the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, specifically the wholesale supply license provisions.
In a separate development, Dr. Joy Ogaji, CEO of the Association of Power Generation Companies, confirmed that gas suppliers had indeed suspended supplies to GenCos. She attributed the grid collapse to the suspension, noting that 70% of Nigeria’s power is generated from gas-fired plants.
“The total debt has now risen to over ₦2.7 trillion, and with 70% of thermal GenCos’ invoices tied to gas, this situation has directly impacted power generation,” she explained.
While the Transmission Company of Nigeria has not commented on the incident, power restoration efforts have reportedly begun, with bulk electricity restored to parts of Abuja on Wednesday night.