Again, Nigeria’s national grid collapses

The national grid collapsed again on Monday, cutting electricity supply to near-zero levels across major cities in the country.

Tribune Online reports that the outage followed a system disturbance that affected the national grid in the afternoon.

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), in separate statements, reported disturbances in the grid that resulted in power outages across their franchise areas.

Load figures released at 3:12 pm on Monday, however, indicated that only two electricity distribution companies were receiving supply. Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) recorded an allocation of 30 megawatts (MW), while Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received 20 MW. Other distribution companies, including Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Yola, were allocated zero megawatts at the time, leaving combined nationwide distribution at just 50 MW, far below the level required to sustain normal electricity services.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) issued a preliminary report on the disturbance. A statement by the operator said the incident involved the tripping of several generating units and critical 330kV transmission lines, resulting in widespread disruption to electricity supply across the country.

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The statement added that the Delta generation complex successfully operated on island mode at the 132kV sub-transmission voltage level, enabling continued electricity supply to Oghara, Amukpe, Benin, and Efunrun 132kV substations, with a total generation of 114 MW from four units at the Delta Thermal Power Station.

It read:

“The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) wishes to inform the general public and relevant stakeholders that the National Grid experienced a system disturbance at 14:01 hours on Monday, 29 December 2025, which led to a partial collapse.

It would be recalled that the Lagos–Escravos–Lagos gas pipeline was vandalized on 10 December 2025, leading to a shortage in power generation in the country. This has further contributed to the fragility and weakness of the national grid.

Preliminary reports indicate that the disturbance involved the tripping of several generating units and critical 330kV transmission lines, resulting in a widespread impact on electricity supply across parts of the country.

However, the Delta generation complex successfully operated on island mode at the 132kV sub-transmission voltage level. This enabled the continued supply of electricity to Oghara, Amukpe, Benin, and Efunrun 132kV substations, with a total generation of 114 MW from four units at the Delta Thermal Power Station.

In line with established operational procedures, NISO promptly initiated system response measures using its dispatch and monitoring tools at the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo.

Supply has been fully restored to all parts of the country, and system stability has been normalized.

Investigations into the cause and sequence of events leading to the system disturbance are currently ongoing. Appropriate measures shall be implemented to prevent future occurrences of such major system incidents.

NISO reassures Nigerians of its continued commitment to proactive grid management and the application of best operational practices to ensure the stability and reliability of the National Grid.”