On Monday, Nigeria experienced a major power grid disruption that saw electricity supply plummet by 81.5 per cent within a single hour. Generation dropped sharply from 3,647 megawatts (MW) at noon to just 675 MW by 1pm, after the number of active power plants feeding the national grid fell abruptly from 21 to 2.
Timeline of the Incident
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Early Morning (1:00 AM – 6:00 AM): Operations began with relatively stable supply levels, recording 4,331 MW at 1:00 AM and peaking at 4,458 MW by 6:00 AM.
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Midday Drop (12:00 PM): Generation decreased to 3,647 MW across 21 operating power plants.
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The Crash (1:00 PM): Multiple plants abruptly went offline—including major facilities such as Azura, Egbin, Jebba, and Kainji—cutting active plants down to 12 and slashing total supply by 2,972 MW in 60 minutes.
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Afternoon Recovery (5:00 PM): Generation rebounded partially to 2,150 MW, marking a 1,475 MW improvement from the 1:00 PM low, though still well below morning levels.
Impact on Distribution Companies
Major electricity distribution companies released public advisories notifying customers of the widespread disruptions:
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Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC): Informed consumers that inbound supply from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was severely interrupted. AEDC noted that TCN technical teams deployed immediate intervention measures, gradually re-energizing feeders to restore normal service.
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Ikeja Electric: Explained that the supply deficit stemmed directly from a reduction in power allocations received from the national grid, emphasizing ongoing engagement with industry stakeholders to optimize available capacity and distribute incoming power equitably.
Official Response and Stabilization
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) confirmed that the sudden outage was triggered by multiple trippings along the 330-kilovolt (kV) transmission network around 12:40 PM on October 19, 2026.
NISO and TCN technical crews implemented emergency corrective protocols to isolate the fault and stabilize the network. Authorities confirmed that restoration procedures were successfully completed, returning the national grid to normal operational status while clarifying that the disruption affected only a specific section of the network rather than a total system collapse.