The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported that the national electricity grid has been forcibly shut down by members of the labor union. The blackout occurred across the country early this morning at approximately 2:19 am.
According to TCN, around 1:15 am, the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit reported that operators were driven out of the control room by union members. Without supervision, the Benin Area Control Center was then brought to a complete shutdown.
Several other major transmission substations were also shut down by the labor union, including Ganmo, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba and Osogbo. Transmission lines were also opened, causing widespread disruption to the national grid.
On the generation side, union members forced power plants to shut down multiple generating units, including one unit at the Jebba Generating Station. The sudden loss of generation capacity led to grid instability and the eventual total shutdown of the national grid at 2:19 am.
TCN states they began efforts to recover and stabilize the grid around 3:23 am, using the Shiroro Substation to attempt to reenergize transmission lines. However, the labor union is still obstructing these recovery efforts nationwide.
TCN has assured that it will continue working to restore normal bulk electricity transmission to distribution centers across the country as soon as possible. The public is advised to remain patient as the situation is monitored and resolved.