&w=64&q=75)
The country’s national grid system has plummeted to zero megawatts following a total halt in power supply to all eleven electricity distribution companies.
According to Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), this nationwide blackout was a direct result of the actions of TCN employees, who are represented by the influential National Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE).
They shut down all power substations across the nation at around 2:19 AM on Monday, June 3, leading to the grid system’s complete collapse.
Pulse earlier reported that the Labour Unions, after a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on Sunday, June 2 evening in Abuja, the leadership of the Organised Labour said there was no going back on the nationwide industrial action slated to start on Monday.
After the meeting, Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said, “For now, we don’t have the power to call off the strike; tomorrow (Monday) morning, the strike will kick off as we take their (NASS) plea asking us to call off the strike to our various organs.”
The Organised Labour has decided to act following a deadlock in negotiations between the Federal Government and labour unions regarding a new national minimum wage and the recent increase in electricity tariffs.
The unions argued that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is insufficient for the average Nigerian worker and noted that not all governors are adhering to the existing wage agreement, which expired in April 2024, five years after former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Minimum Wage Act of 2019.
According to Channels TV, this Act mandates a review every five years to address the current economic needs of workers.
Speaking on the efforts to restore lost power generation, Mbah highlighted the role of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
At around 3:23 AM, the TCN initiated grid recovery operations. They did this by utilising the Shiroro substation to supply electricity to the Katampe Transmission Substation, a crucial step in the process.