National Grid Collapse Plunges Nigeria into Darkness

Nigeria experienced another nationwide power outage on Wednesday after its national electricity grid collapsed, causing electricity generation to drop dramatically from 2,917.83 megawatts to just 1.5 megawatts within an hour. The incident, which occurred around 11:20 AM, affected major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano, leaving millions without electricity.

The National Independent System Operator (NISO) attributed the collapse to the tripping of a power generation company (GenCo), which triggered a chain reaction leading to a system-wide failure. Restoration efforts began shortly after, with power gradually returning to some areas by the afternoon. Abuja, for example, received 150 megawatts from the Shiroro power plant as part of initial recovery steps.

Electricity distribution companies, including the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), confirmed the grid failure and assured customers that efforts were underway to stabilize the system. In a statement, AEDC apologized for the inconvenience and urged patience while technicians worked to restore full power.

This grid collapse is the latest in a long history of power system failures in Nigeria. In 2024 alone, the grid collapsed 12 times, and over the past decade, such incidents have occurred more than 100 times. The recurring issues highlight persistent weaknesses in the country’s power infrastructure, despite regulatory efforts to improve reliability.

The outage sparked widespread frustration on social media, with “National Grid” trending on X (formerly Twitter). Nigerians expressed anger and humor about the frequent collapses, with some comparing the grid to “Arsenal’s defense” for its tendency to fail regularly.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had previously claimed there were no system disturbances in the first quarter of 2025. However, this latest incident underscores the ongoing challenges facing the power sector and the urgent need for sustainable solutions to prevent future collapses.