Nigeria’s electricity generation plunged from about 3,840 megawatts (MW) to 476.70MW on Monday, October 19, triggering reports of power outages in parts of the country and raising fresh concerns about the stability of the national grid.
Key Highlights
- Grid generation fell from about 3,840MW at 7am to 476.70MW by 1pm on Monday.
- Most power plants, including Egbin, Jebba, Shiroro and Kainji, recorded zero output.
- Only Odukpani NIPP, Omotosho, Sapele and a few others were still generating.
- NISO denies a national grid collapse, blaming possible localised issues.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that grid generation, which stood at approximately 3,840MW at 7am, dropped sharply to 476.70MW by 1pm.
The decline began around 12:40pm, with most power plants on the national grid recording zero output, according to figures on the operator’s portal, niggrid.org.
Major Plants Record Zero Output
Among the few generating stations still supplying electricity were Odukpani NIPP, Omotosho and Sapele, although their contributions remained limited.
Major power plants, including Egbin, Jebba, Shiroro and Kainji, alongside several gas-fired facilities, reportedly recorded no electricity generation during the period.
The development coincided with complaints from electricity consumers on social media, who reported power interruptions between approximately 12:45pm and 1:20pm.
At about 1:23pm, the NISO dashboard showed real-time generation at around 480MW, with only five generating companies recording output.
The figures represented a decline of more than 3,300MW from the level recorded earlier in the morning, intensifying concerns about the reliability of electricity supply to homes and businesses.
NISO Denies Grid Collapse
However, NISO dismissed claims that the country had experienced a national grid collapse, insisting that there was no system-wide disturbance.
A senior official of the operator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested that the reported outages might have resulted from localised problems rather than a nationwide grid failure.
“There is no disturbance at the moment. Probably if something is happening, maybe it is a local issue, but there is nothing on the grid,” the official said.
The official explained that temporary outages and minor equipment tripping in particular locations did not necessarily indicate a national grid collapse, adding that some interruptions could be resolved within minutes.
According to the official, NISO had directed its technical team to conduct an immediate system check to identify any abnormalities.
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Monday’s sharp drop comes amid recurring grid disturbances that have disrupted electricity supply across Nigeria this year, highlighting persistent challenges facing the country’s power sector.
The federal government recently approved plans to develop new eastern and western power grids as part of efforts to reduce the impact of recurring grid failures and strengthen the stability of the electricity system.
Despite the proposed measures, the latest generation figures have renewed questions about the resilience of Nigeria’s power infrastructure and the capacity of the national grid to sustain reliable electricity supply.
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