The highly pronounced power failures across the country in the past few days may worsen following a partial system collapse that occurred on Tuesday, and the continuous drop in electricity generation due to what the government says is the vandalism of pipelines that supply gas to the power plants.

As a result, power generation dropped to 1,580.6 megawatts on Wednesday.

Data from the Nigeria Electricity System Operator as well as information from senior officials of the different electricity distribution companies confirmed that power generation plummeted massively on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The officials noted that this resulted in the reduction of the electricity load allocated to the Discos, stressing that this was why many parts of the country had been recording blackouts in the past few days.

It was learnt that the partial system collapse that occurred on Tuesday happened at the Shiroro Power Plant and dragged down electricity generation to as low as 1,233.4MW from a peak of 3,207.7MW recorded on the same day.

Data from NESO showed that by 9.48am on Wednesday, power generation was 1,580.6MW, with the Ikeja Electric getting 237.09MW; Abuja, 181.77MW; Eko, 173.87MW; Benin, 142.25MW; and Enugu, 142.25MW.

Others are Ibadan, 205.48MW; Jos, 86.93MW; Kano, 126.45MW; Kaduna, 126.45MW; Port Harcourt, 102.74MW; and Yola, 55.32MW.

One of our correspondents gathered that prior to the partial collapse of the system, the Abuja, Ikeja and Eko distribution firms were getting over 350MW each to meet the power needs of a considerable number of their customers.

In fact, it was learnt that the normal baseline allocation for the Abuja Disco was 450MW, but on Wednesday, the firm got 181.77MW around 9.48am, according to data from NESO, and this further dropped to 131.77MW by 1.25pm.

On reason for the slump in electricity generation, officials at the power arm of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing told one of our correspondents that the same old issue of gas pipeline vandalism had continued to pose challenge to adequate electricity generation and distribution.

An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Gas is vital for power generation and most of the electricity being generated in Nigeria is produced by gas-fired power plants. Both the ministers of power and petroleum have often called on Nigerians to help safeguard these infrastructure, but we keep recording explosions of gas pipelines.

“Currently, repairs are ongoing on some of the ruptured pipelines and once they are completed, we believe generation will pick up again.”

Last week, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Anthony Akah, lamented the incidences of vandalism that led to the reduction in peak power generation and supply from the national grid.

Akah, who spoke in Abuja, solicited the support of members of the public and the Consumer Protection Council to collaborate with electricity service providers and security agencies in ensuring adequate protection of power installations across the country.

Similarly, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday that vandalism had been a serious challenge to not just the oil and gas sector, but also the power sector.

Meanwhile, the management of Ikeja Electric has apologised to its customers for the epileptic power supply across its network in the past three days.

The Head of Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric, Mr. Felix Ofulue, made the apology through a statement on Wednesday.

Ofulue attributed the poor service to the ongoing activities by labour unions picketing the facilities of the company over the purported sacking of 400 workers.

He said the company’s employees were not on strike, but that they had been prevented by the protesting labour unions from gaining access to its facilities and “are, therefore, not in a position to provide any consistent service to our valued customers.”

Ofulue noted that the situation had impacted negatively on power supply as well as the purchase of recharge units because all the substations, business units and undertakings had been taken over by members of the protesting unions.

He said, “Ikeja Electric regrets all inconveniences this action may have caused its customers and appeals to all its customers to please bear with us.

“We assure our customers that the company is doing its best to normalise the situation within the shortest possible time. We thank all our customers for their patience and understanding.”

Power sector workers under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies had on Monday picketed the head office of the Ikeja Electric over the sacking of 400 workers of the company.

The union had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the management of the company last week Tuesday to recall the disengaged workers or face industrial action.


http://www.punchng.com/blackout-electricity-generation-sinks-to-1580mw/

Simply put, Fashola and Buhari has failed woefully ..

I don't believe this

No wonder my street has only been seeing bills but no light

buhari and his clueless ministers taking us back to the dark ages. God how gullible can a nation be.

modified.... for u guys quoting me and wailing... this was the same excuse the previous govt
gave but APC were lambasting and lamenting,
now they are in power giving the same excuse, if
every govt gives this same excuse we would
never have light...

President Buhari was summoned at the nuclear summits by world presidents to come and receive 50,000mw of electricity for her 200 million population via body language. Let's endure and give him time till he travels.

aresa Gbawe omenka egift ngeneukwenu demdem How's the light situation in your neighborhoods?

Buhari the useless bastard dragging the country back to era of darkness with clueless fashola who thinks managing a country is the same as Lagos state... This is 3 solid wks, no lite in my area. GEJ is better than these idiots.

Grammar! This govt is a failure!

Yes. it will soon rise. Nigerians seeking to reap where they did not sow.
should we run away, or we should keep wailing?

Nigeria's electricity demand: 160,000MW
National grid capacity. : 6,020MW
Peak performance this year: 5,074MW

Current performance. : 1,580MW



''Super Minister'' Babatunde Fashola should please respect Nigerians & address the nation!

People that promised 20,000mw of electricity are struggling to maintain 2000!we are our biggest problems in dis country.A govt that lack plans in every key sector of economic growth!no road map on economy,power,transportation,job creation,nothing at all.everymorning we just wake up to hear more people are remanded in prison for stealing public funds.they have forgotten the public funds at their disposal for 9months now is meant to do its own work instead of wasting it chasing a phantom $2.1billion.APC is s scam of d 21st century.

A nation that is bent on pressing the self destruct button.


You make little progress and vandals sabotage your efforts in ALL sectors.


At the rate we are going, the centre will no longer hold.

#Things fall apart.

God forbid.

Fortunately for Nigeria I have an idea to solve this problem

lay the pipe line on the road path so that it can easily be watched or subsea pipeline systems
before u shout I have done a project on this and will forward if need be

With those pipe lines passing the bushes there is no way we can save guard them completely
It's an expensive project but desperate times calls for desperate measures

It is DONE. BUbu has finally DESTROYED this country!


MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

I pray it goes to 900mw, useless country.
2015 election na the last election wen i go vote 4 this country, weda na APC or PDP o e don end bdat bcoz all of them na 1

Hmmmm

Though I didn't read the above... Sai Buhari


I

Failed nation, failed president with fake ministers....

Thunder strike buhari and fashola to death for causing the masses to suffer this worst...

Foolish administration

Incredible !

Forex - dead
Electricity - sinks
Economy - cremated
NNPC - Strike
Fuel - Scarce
Poverty - All time high
Inflation - All time high

What exactly has improved under Buhari?
Fashola's incompetence masked with propaganda is now in full glare.

Only fools would expect that Buhari can invade ogoni, fight IPOB, Tompolo and militants. .... and the gas pipelines would be intact..... Jokers

No nation disunited in purpose can make progress. True federalism is the only hope of a United Nigeria

EasternActivist:
Failed nation, failed president with fake ministers....

Thunder strike buhari and fashola to death for causing the masses to suffer this worst...

Foolish administration

Agu, the suffering is real! is it the case that our nairaland frogressives are immune to this darkness? or they lack light to power their phones?

So much for change
Fashola is working

Same old stories

APCCCCC, CHAINNNN

dunkem21:
Simply put, Fashola and Buhari has failed woefully ..

They "has" failed right?? You should simply go back to your principal and ask for a refund of your tuition.

@post: What caused the system collapse?? Was it avoidable?? Whatever it is, resolving it asap is all Nigerians need.

I can see those very useless iPod Tadpoles getting all giddy over this as though they were just handed a few cents like beggars in Manhattan tube.

Smh.

There is no DISCO in Kaduna?

It is about 30 hours now,
one cannot dance to his liking,
everywhere is darkness and heat.

There is no music from the DISCO master.
The DJ is nowhere to be found,
I learnt he lost his voice.

Just paid N10,000 for a 300 wavelength of music
While last month we waltzed through 480.

Where is the DISCO master?
Last night the DJ killed my life!

This morning?

Hmmmmmmmmm

The Ineffectual Buffoon handed over an electricity capacity of about 900MW with the entire nation in darkness while fuel was selling for over 250 naira a litre and 400 in some cases, these useless iPork shrimps didn't as much as sneeze a disapproval. Today, they crawl out of their dens like Tasmanian devils in hibernation to waank all over the place at the sound of a bad news.

The thunder you say should strike Baba and Tinubu would first strike the Ogogoro Buffoon, that Albino Faagoot in Kuje and then locate their middle of your useless brains and fry whatever maggots that lie in there.

Sick bastards.

Progressive01:
They "has" failed right?? You should simply go back to your principal and ask for a refund of your tuition.

@post: What caused the system collapse?? Was it avoidable?? Whatever it is, resolving it asap is all Nigerians need.

I can see those very useless iPod Tadpoles getting all giddy over this as though they were just handed a few cents like beggars in Manhattan tube.

Smh.

A zombie will always behave like a zombie.

Sombori say sai bubu
Sai changi
Sai born to rule
Sai chains

Welcm to one chance

thesicilian:
Nigeria's electricity demand: 160,000MW
National grid capacity. : 6,020MW
Peak performance this year: 5,074MW

Current performance. : 1,580MW



''Super Minister'' Babatunde Fashola should please respect Nigerians & address the nation!

Wetin Fashola go use address the nation? Gong or town criers? They say no light you are talking of addressing the nation, what will power the broadcast system?

Enemies of Nigeria wouldn't allow this man to succeed. You shall all be put to shame by God's grace.