Strike: Blackout as electricity workers shut national grid

The aggrieved members of Organised Labour have thrown the country into a nationwide blackout following the shutdown of the national grid by the workers.

It was gathered that the national grid system dropped to zero megawatts at about 2 a.m. on Monday, June 3, 2023, as a result of the complete disruption of power supply to all eleven electricity distribution companies in the country.

This was confirmed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

TCN, in a statement issued on Monday by its General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said the nationwide blackout was due to staff of the TCN, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE), completely shutting down all power substations across the country at approximately 2:19 a.m. on Monday.

Mbah noted that this caused the national grid system to drop to zero megawatts.

Oil, electricity workers begin strike Monday

The NUEE had earlier declared its readiness to join the nationwide labour strike commencing on Monday.

Speaking on efforts to recover lost power generation, Mbah said TCN, at about 3:23 a.m., commenced grid recovery, using the Shiroro substation to attempt to feed the transmission lines supplying bulk electricity to the Katampe transmission substation.

The TCN spokesperson stated: “The situation is such that the Labour Union is still obstructing grid recovery nationwide.

“We will continue to make effort to recover and stabilise the grid to enable the restoration of normal bulk transmission of electricity to distribution load centres nationwide.”

The Star