Nigeria’s national grid collapsed Wednesday, cutting power as generation plunged from 2,917.83MW to 1.5MW within one hour.

Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed on Wednesday, plunging parts of the country into darkness after power generation fell to near zero.

Data from the Independent System Operator (ISO) showed that generation dropped drastically from 2,917.83 megawatts (MW) to just 1.5MW between 11 am and 12 pm.

Confirming the incident, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) said the blackout was caused by a grid failure.

“Please be informed that the power outage currently being experienced is due to a loss of supply from the national grid at 11:23 am today, affecting electricity supply across our franchise areas,” AEDC said in a statement posted on X.

“Rest assured, we are working closely with the relevant shareholders to ensure power is restored once the grid is stabilised. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

The latest collapse adds to a series of disruptions that have raised concerns about the stability of the country’s electricity system.

On February 12, parts of Nigeria were left without power following another system collapse, although the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) denied reports at the time that the grid had failed twice in one day. Similarly, in January, the company dismissed reports of a collapse.

In July, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said there was no national grid collapse in the first quarter of 2025 but admitted it was pushing the System Operator (SO) to improve coordination.

Nigeria’s national grid has suffered repeated breakdowns over the past year, often resulting in nationwide blackouts and highlighting persistent weaknesses in the country’s power infrastructure. (ARISE NEWS)