Following consistent blackouts in northern Nigeria, the electricity distribution companies in the region recorded approximately N74bn in losses between July and September, according to data from the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission.
In the first week of November, the country witnessed its 10th national grid collapse in 2024, plunging the entire nation into yet another blackout.
Confirming this, the Transmission Company of Nigeria stated, “The national grid experienced a partial disturbance at about 1:52 pm on November 5, 2024.”
“This followed a series of line and generator trippings that caused grid instability and, consequently, a partial system disturbance,” TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah explained.
Recall that there were three separate grid collapses in October, which paralyzed electricity supply in most parts of the country.
However, power blackouts in northern Nigeria have recently worsened due to the vandalisation of the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, the major line supplying electricity to the region.
No fewer than 17 states in the region suffered total blackouts for two weeks last month due to the disruption.
The affected states include Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, and Yobe. Others are Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Benue.
Due to these significant power disruptions, the five electricity distribution companies supplying the North recorded losses amounting to N73.68bn between July and September, according to the Discos’ commercial performance fact sheet issued by NERC.
The affected power firms are the Kano, Abuja, Yola, Kaduna, and Jos Discos.
Over the three months, they issued electricity bills totalling N209bn but were only able to collect N135.6bn as power distribution continued to decline.
In July, the Discos lost N19.7bn, having collected only N46.4bn out of a possible N66.17bn.
The following month, losses worsened to N22.69bn, as the Discos collected only N46.92bn out of the N69.61bn worth of electricity bills issued to their customers.
In September, the losses further increased to N31.22bn, with the power firms collecting only N42.31bn out of the N73.61bn billed.
Of all the firms, Kano Disco appeared the worst hit, losing N11.88bn in September after collecting only N3.07bn out of the N14.95bn worth of electricity supplied that month.
For the ninth month, other recorded losses include N6.49bn (Abuja), N2.56bn (Yola), N3.8bn (Kaduna), and N6.57bn (Jos).
In August, Kano Disco lost N5.86bn, Abuja recorded N6.48bn in losses, Yola N1.81bn, Kaduna N3.45bn, and Jos N5.09bn.
The July losses included N5.61bn (Kano), N5.9bn (Abuja), N1.39bn (Yola), N3.43bn (Kaduna), and N3.4bn (Jos).
The Federal Government has attributed the consistent power disruptions in Northern Nigeria to attacks on electricity infrastructure.