In a dire turn of events, Nigeria was plunged into darkness early Thursday morning as the nation’s electricity grid experienced a total collapse. The incident, which occurred at precisely 12:40 a.m. on September 14, 2023, left power distributors grappling with a massive loss of supply across the entire country.

Multiple sources within the power sector, as well as electricity distribution companies, confirmed this harrowing development. Among them, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc issued a solemn notice titled ‘Notice of Total System Collapse’ on Thursday, confirming the widespread blackout.

According to the EEDC notice, “The EEDC wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a total system collapse which occurred at 12:40 am today, September 14, 2023. This has resulted in the loss of supply currently being experienced across the network. Due to this development, all our interface TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria) stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states. We are on standby, awaiting detailed information on the collapse and the restoration of supply from the National Control Centre, Osogbo.”

The announcement was signed by Emeka Ezeh, Head of Corporate Communications at EEDC. In contrast, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which manages the nation’s grid, has yet to release any official statement regarding the incident.

Just a week ago, the TCN had celebrated a significant milestone, claiming 400 days of uninterrupted power grid stability in Nigeria. However, this abrupt collapse has cast a shadow over that achievement.

As the nation grapples with this unprecedented power crisis, further details regarding the incident and efforts towards restoring electricity supply remain forthcoming.