Nationwide Blackout as Labour Union Shuts down Electricity Grid

*TCN alleges workers on duty beaten up

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Nigeria was on Monday morning thrown into darkness after organised labour shut down the national electricity grid, making good their threat to embark on a national strike.
The labour union is asking for an increase in the national minimum from about N30,000 to N494,000, blaming the rising inflation, high energy costs, skyrocketing transportation fares, increasing house rent, among others.
Confirming the latest development, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), stated that the shutdown of the national grid occurred at about 2.19 am, June 3.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby informs the general public that the labour union has shut down the national grid, resulting in black out  nationwide. The national grid shut down occurred at about 2.19am this morning,  June 3, 2024.
“At about 1:15am this morning, the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit of TCN reported that all operators were driven away from the control room.
“Staff that resisted were beaten while some were wounded in the course of forcing them out of the control room and without any form of control or supervision, the Benin Area Control Centre was brought to zero.
“Other transmission substations that were shut down, by the labour union include: The Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba and Osogbo Transmission Substations. Some transmission lines were equally opened due to the ongoing activities of the labour union,” a statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs of the TCN, Ndidi Mbah, stated this morning.
On the power generating side, power generating units from different generating stations, TCN said, were forced to shut down some units of their generating plants.

Details later…