NLC strike: Blackout as workers shut down national grid

Nigeria’s national grid collapses to zero megawatts following a complete halt in power supply to all eleven electricity distribution companies due to the NLC strike.

Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), stated that this nationwide blackout was caused by actions taken by TCN employees, represented by the National Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE).

These employees shut down all power substations across the nation at around 2:19 AM on Monday, June 3, leading to the total collapse of the grid system.

This event follows a meeting between Labour Unions and the leadership of the National Assembly on Sunday, June 2, in Abuja, where the leadership of Organized Labour reaffirmed their decision to proceed with the nationwide industrial action starting Monday.

“For now, we don’t have the power to call off the strike; tomorrow (Monday) morning, the strike will kick off as we take their (NASS) plea asking us to call off the strike to our various organs,” Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said after the meeting.

Organized Labour has decided to take action following a deadlock in negotiations with the Federal Government regarding a new national minimum wage and the recent hike in electricity tariffs.

The unions contend that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is inadequate for the average Nigerian worker.

They also pointed out that not all governors are complying with the existing wage agreement, which expired in April 2024, five years after former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Minimum Wage Act of 2019.