The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced the complete shutdown of Nigeria’s power grid by labor unions as part of a nationwide strike initiated by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress. The shutdown occurred at about 2:19 a.m. on June 3, 2024, resulting in a blackout across the country.
Workers from TCN, under the National Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE), shut down all power substations, causing the national grid to drop to zero megawatts. The strike was in protest against the Federal Government’s proposed N60,000 minimum wage.
The shutdown led to disruptions in power supply to all eleven electricity distribution companies in Nigeria. Various transmission substations, including Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba, and Osogbo were affected.
Additionally, power generating units from different stations were forced to shut down due to high frequency and system instability caused by sudden load cuts.
Efforts were made by TCN to recover and stabilize the grid using the Shiroro Substation but faced obstruction from the labor union. The situation resulted in ongoing nationwide grid recovery challenges as workers continued their industrial action.
The strike was part of a broader nationwide industrial action declared by labor unions to press for a new minimum wage agreement and review electricity price hikes for certain consumers. The strike began after a meeting between government representatives and union leaders failed to reach an agreement on these issues.
