Businesses and homes suffered a significant setback yesterday as Nigeria recorded another collapse of its national electricity grid. The total electricity generation dropped drastically to 1.5 megawatts from 2,917.83 MW between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Following the collapse, the Nigeria National Grid, an official X account that provides updates on electric power distribution, announced that “System restoration is in progress.” The account further revealed that the Disco loads of all power distribution companies (DisCos) across the country, except Ibadan DisCo, had fallen to zero megawatts.
DisCo load refers to the amount of power allocated from the national grid to each Electricity Distribution Company. The sudden drop left millions of Nigerians without electricity, affecting businesses, homes, and essential services.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) confirmed the collapse on its verified Twitter handle. According to AEDC, the national grid failed at about 11:23 a.m. on Wednesday, impacting electricity supply across its franchise areas.
“Please be informed that the power outage currently being experienced is due to a loss of supply from the national grid at about 11:23 a.m. on Wednesday,” the company tweeted. AEDC assured customers that it is working closely with relevant stakeholders to restore power once the grid is stabilized.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), the body responsible for managing and coordinating power generation in Nigeria, attributed the collapse to a tripping incident at one of the country’s power generation plants.
In an official statement, NISO said the grid experienced a system disturbance at 11:20 a.m., following the tripping incident. This caused a significant drop in load, which cascaded to other power plants, resulting in a nationwide blackout.
This latest grid failure comes amid increasing concerns about Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure and the reliability of power supply for both businesses and households. Many businesses had to suspend operations temporarily, and residential areas experienced extended hours without electricity, raising concerns about productivity and public safety.
Experts say that repeated collapses of the national grid highlight the urgent need for investment in energy infrastructure, maintenance, and modern technology to prevent system overloads and cascading failures.
Power distribution companies have been instructed to cooperate with the national grid and provide real-time updates to customers. Meanwhile, the public is advised to remain patient as engineers work to restore electricity safely.
The Nigerian government and relevant authorities are expected to conduct an investigation into the causes of the tripping incident. The outcome may influence future policies aimed at strengthening the grid, improving supply stability, and reducing the frequency of such outages.
As restoration efforts continue, citizens are urged to report any irregularities and avoid electrical hazards during the blackout period. The national grid’s stability remains a critical priority for both the government and energy sector stakeholders in Nigeria.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
