‘Up NEPA’ in Europe: Spain/Portugal’s shock blackout shines dim light on Nigeria’s power struggles

Is Europe now as underdeveloped as its former colony of Africa? (Pun intended) What would ordinarily be passing news in Nigeria has become a major headline in tabloids across Spain and Portugal as massive blackouts leave millions stranded. An unprecedented power outage on Monday brought Spain and Portugal to a near standstill, stranding thousands of commuters and cutting off millions from mobile networks, internet access, and cash withdrawals.  At exactly 12:33 p.m., Spain’s national grid lost 15 gigawatts of power—about 60% of its total demand—within five seconds, triggering a system-wide collapse described as “exceptional and extraordinary” by Red Eléctrica, the country’s main power distributor. EXPLORE: Surviving NEPA’s Wahala: Household tips for unstable power supply The blackout, which lasted over 11 hours, disrupted major transportation systems and sparked panic as people across the Iberian Peninsula scrambled for basic services. Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, confirmed that more than 92% of power had been restored by early Tuesday morning, and assured citizens that full recovery would be completed by the end of the day.  Authorities, however, remain in the dark about the root cause of the failure, with the Prime Minister admitting that “all potential causes” were still under investigation. This marks the second major infrastructure failure in Europe in under two months, following a March fire that shut down Heathrow Airport in the UK.  While speculation of sabotage has surfaced amidst rising geopolitical tensions with Russia, officials in both Spain and Portugal have so far ruled out cyberattacks.  RECOMMENDED: Surviving remote work in Nigeria with NEPA, network wahala European Commission vice president Teresa Ribera called it “one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times,” underscoring growing vulnerabilities in the continent’s energy systems. When the Lights Go Out: Europe’s Shock Compared to Nigeria’s Everyday Reality The massive blackout that brought Spain and Portugal to a standstill this week revealed just how crucial steady electricity is to the smooth running of any country.  With offices shut, train services halted, and millions stranded without phone or internet access, both governments treated the outage as a national emergency.  Power was rushed in from Morocco and France, emergency meetings were held, and the military was deployed to distribute generators across the hardest-hit areas. In Nigeria, power cuts are not breaking news. They are a way of life. Most people have come to rely on generators, power banks, inverters, and solar panels just to survive.  The impact runs deep. Businesses lose money daily, schoolchildren struggle to study, and hospitals are often left in the dark. Even the State House is reportedly considering solar power just to stay off the unreliable national grid. That is not innovation. It is survival. To make matters worse, the new electricity band split has left many Nigerians paying more for a service that remains inconsistent.  While Europe shuts down over a single day of power loss, Nigerians continue to endure it every day with little hope of real change. The cost of staying connected is rising, but the quality of supply remains painfully low. So if one day, without power, Europe could be brought to its knees, what would it say about a country where darkness is business as usual?  READ ALSO: Aso Rock’s power bill hit ₦47bn yearly — here’s why FG switched to solar