Nigeria restores power after nationwide shutdown

Power has been restored in Nigeria after a nationwide blackout due to a workers' strike over pay.

Africa’s most populous nation was plunged into darkness on Wednesday after the workers shut down the national power grid.

The electricity workers’ union had said it wanted to compel the government to honour an agreement from 2019 to pay former employees of a state-owned electricity company.

They accused the government of failing to address staff welfare issues.

The workers, under the National Union of Electricity Employees, called off the strike on Wednesday night after a meeting with the government.

They have threatened to resume the strike in two weeks if their demands are not addressed.

Nigeria’s power sector (electricity generation and distribution) was fully privatised in 2013; but corruption and inefficiency have ruined any progress.

Incessant power cuts have forced many Nigerians, including entrepreneurs to rely mostly on petrol or diesel-powered generators to power their homes and businesses.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: AFP