Nigeria’s national power grid has once again experienced a series of collapses, with the most recent incident occurring on Saturday, marking the third such failure in just one week. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has released its operational performance factsheet for September 2024, providing insights into the ongoing challenges and some areas of progress within the power sector.
One of the most concerning revelations from the factsheet pertains to the performance of the Alaoji NIPP (National Integrated Power Plant). The plant recorded a 0 per cent availability factor, meaning it did not generate any electricity during the period. This highlights broader inefficiencies in the sector, where substantial investments in infrastructure do not always result in reliable energy output. “Alaoji NIPP’s performance is reflective of larger systemic issues,” said a NERC official. “We must address these inefficiencies to achieve a more stable power supply.”
The frequent grid collapses, including Saturday’s incident, are a stark reminder of Nigeria’s ongoing power supply struggles. NERC attributed the latest collapse to a current transformer explosion. Despite significant investment in the sector, the grid has reportedly collapsed around 105 times during the administrations of President Bola Tinubu and his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the NERC’s September factsheet, Nigeria’s grid performance shows a mixed set of results. The grid frequency, which ensures balance between supply and demand, was relatively stable at 50.80 Hz, just 1 per cent above the target of 50.25 Hz. Stability in frequency is essential for preventing grid failures, which could otherwise lead to widespread power outages.
However, voltage stability remains a major issue. The factsheet reported that the grid voltage was recorded at 349.87 kV, which was 1 per cent above the upper target but 3 per cent lower than the lower threshold of 313.50 kV. Voltage fluctuations are one of the leading causes of power outages in Nigeria and can also damage electrical equipment in households and industries.
Apart from the frequent collapses and voltage instability, the factsheet highlights significant underperformance at some of the country’s major power plants. For instance, the Afam IV-V plant, with an installed capacity of 726 MW, only generated 63 MW on average, operating at a mere 9 per cent plant availability factor. This stark underperformance contrasts with expectations for such a large power installation.
In comparison, other plants such as Ibom Power and Omoku plants demonstrated better performance, with availability factors of 28 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively. These plants, however, achieved load factors of 62 per cent and 100 per cent, meaning they effectively utilised their available capacity. This suggests that operational inefficiencies, rather than a lack of capacity, are contributing to the country’s power woes.
The factsheet also noted that some smaller plants have been more reliable. For example, Rivers IPP, Azura IPP, and Dadin Kowa all achieved near-perfect load factors of 100 per cent, meaning they maximised their output during the month. These plants, despite having lower installed capacities compared to some of the larger plants, have shown a consistent ability to generate and supply power, which is vital for grid stability.
Conversely, plants such as Sapele ST and Olorunsogo NIPP struggled with their load factors, operating at just 38 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively. Their inability to maintain consistent power generation raises concerns about their long-term contribution to grid reliability.
In terms of overall power generation, the country saw some improvement in September. The factsheet revealed that 28 grid-connected plants had an average plant availability factor of 41 per cent, a 5 per cent improvement from the previous month. The total available capacity was recorded at 5,533 MW, a 14 per cent increase compared to August 2024. This growth is encouraging but remains insufficient given Nigeria’s growing energy demands.
Although the average generation from these plants increased to 4,492 MWh/h—an 8 per cent rise from August—this output is still far from adequate to meet the needs of Nigeria’s population, which continues to struggle with unreliable power supply.
The factsheet highlighted some of the top-performing plants, including Azura IPP, Odukpani, and Afam VI, which had availability factors of 98 per cent, 98 per cent, and 74 per cent, respectively. These plants contributed significantly to the grid, with Azura IPP producing 387 MWh/h and Odukpani generating 348 MWh/h.
