Nigeria Suffers Nationwide Blackout After National Grid Collapse

Nigeria Experiences Widespread Blackout Following National Grid Collapse

Abuja, Nigeria — 

Nigeria experienced a widespread power outage on Monday afternoon following the collapse of the national electricity grid, plunging most parts of the country into darkness.

The system disturbance occurred between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. local time, during which electricity generation reportedly dropped sharply from over 2,000 megawatts to approximately 140 megawatts, before falling to near-zero levels in several areas.

Operational data attributed to the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicated that nationwide power supply was reduced to about 50 megawatts at the peak of the disruption. This represented a steep decline compared to the 3,660 megawatts reportedly allocated across the grid the previous day.

Several electricity distribution companies (DisCos) reported zero power allocation in their networks, including Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Yola. Limited electricity supply was initially recorded only in parts of Abuja and Ibadan.

The Nigerian National Grid acknowledged the system collapse and confirmed that restoration efforts had commenced. In subsequent customer notices, some distribution companies, including Eko Electricity Distribution Company, reported gradual progress in restoring power to select feeders.

As of Monday evening, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Federal Ministry of Power had not issued an official statement detailing the cause of the grid failure. The incident follows ongoing challenges in the power sector, including gas supply constraints and infrastructure limitations.

Nigeria’s national grid has experienced multiple collapses in recent years, frequently resulting in nationwide outages that disrupt households, businesses, and essential services. By late afternoon, partial restoration had been reported in limited areas as recovery efforts continued.