For the umpteenth time, the national grid has collapsed, throwing millions of Nigerians into darkness. This latest disaster struck on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at exactly 11:34 AM, marking the first major grid failure of the year.
Electricity distribution companies rushed to confirm what Nigerians already suspected: the system is broken beyond repair. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) said, “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today 12th February 2025 at 11:34hrs affecting all our feeders. Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders.”
Meanwhile, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) also acknowledged the failure, saying, “Dear Valued Customer, we regret to inform you that a system disturbance occurred on the national grid at 11:34 AM today, causing a power outage across our franchise areas. While gradual restoration of power supply has commenced, please be assured that we are working closely with relevant stakeholders to fully restore electricity as soon as the grid is stabilised.”
Nigerians Are Tired—The Power Sector Is a Complete Disaster
Let’s not pretend that this is shocking. The electricity sector in Nigeria is a joke, and the national grid collapses more often than the government admits. In 2024 alone, the grid suffered at least 12 collapses, yet nothing was done to prevent a repeat. Every time this happens, the same recycled statements are issued, filled with empty promises of “gradual restoration” and “collaboration with stakeholders”.
The most baffling part? Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, still has a job. How is that even possible? Under his watch, the power sector has gone from bad to worse, and yet he remains untouched. In any serious country, he would have been sacked long ago, but in Nigeria, failure is rewarded with more time in office.
Nigeria’s Power Sector Is Beyond Broken—Who Will Fix It?
This latest collapse is not just an inconvenience but a national embarrassment. Businesses are shutting down, hospitals are struggling, and ordinary Nigerians are left to suffer while those in power continue to live off diesel-powered generators in their mansions.
It is outrageous that in 2025, a country with Nigeria’s resources cannot provide stable electricity. The excuses are old and tired, blaming inadequate gas supply, outdated infrastructure, or “unexpected disturbances” does not change the fact that successive governments have failed to fix this mess.
At this point, it is clear that the electricity sector is in shambles, and no one in power is serious about fixing it. Nigerians deserve better. But as usual, nothing will change, and the suffering will continue, until the government stops pretending and takes real action.
