National Grid Collapses Again as Power Generation Drops to 139MW
- Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed on Monday, disrupting power supply across the country
- Power generation fell from over 2,000MW to 139.92MW within one hour
- Only three electricity distribution companies received power during the period
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
Power supply was disrupted across parts of Nigeria on Monday following a collapse of the national electricity grid, according to official system data.
Source: Getty Images
Information obtained from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that power generation dropped sharply within one hour, indicating a system-wide failure that affected electricity distribution nationwide.
NISO data revealed that total generation fell from 2,052.37 megawatts at about 2:00 pm to just 139.92 megawatts by 3:00 pm, signalling a major collapse of the grid.
Out of Nigeria’s 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos), only three were able to receive power during the period.
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) recorded the highest load with 80MW, while Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Benin DisCo received 20MW each.
All other distribution companies, including Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt and Yola, recorded zero load allocation, leaving large parts of the country without electricity supply.
As of the time of reporting, there was no official explanation from power sector authorities on the cause of the collapse or when full restoration would be achieved.
Pipeline vandalism affects national grid – NISO
Earlier reports from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) revealed that pipeline vandalism has affected the country's electricity generation capacity.
NISO also stated that the vandalism affected gas availability to several power generation facilities, forcing it to activate contingency measures to stabilise the grid.
NISO disclosed this following the incident of a reported explosion on the Escravos–Lagos gas pipeline operated by a Nigerian National Petroleum Commission subsidiary.
Nigeria not on top 10 list of African countries with reliable electricity
While issues of pipeline vandalism persist, Nigeria's electricity sector also suffers from poor investments, debt, electricity theft and technical challenges.
These challenges have caused setbacks to the country's electrification plan.
With a 2025 report showing that more than 90million of Nigeria's 230million people live without access to electricity, the highest number in any country, the West African nation is far from having reliable electricity.
Legit.ng reported that some African countries, such as Kenya, Gabon, Ghana, South Africa, and Senegal, among others, are far ahead of Nigeria in electricity access.
Reports show that these countries have effectively reached universal or near-universal electricity access, often after decades of sustained planning and state-led investment.
Source: Getty Images
National grid collapsed three months ago
Legit.ng earlier reported that electricity companies announced a power outage three months ago, with supply to Distribution Companies dropping to as low as 120 MW.
The development plunged major cities, including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, into total blackout.
Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ikeja, and Eko DisCos confirmed the power outage and explained that it is due to a total loss of supply from the grid.
Source: Legit.ng
