Nigeria's national grid output plunges 81% to 675MW as nine power plants trip

Nigeria's national electricity grid experienced a significant drop in supply on Monday, with total generation falling by 81.5 percent to 675 megawatts. According to AllAfrica, the decline occurred at 1pm, reducing output from 3,647 megawatts recorded at noon. The incident was linked to a reduction in the number of power plants supplying the grid, which dropped from 21 to 12 within one hour, resulting in a loss of 2,972 megawatts.

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) identified the cause as multiple trippings on the 330-kilovolt transmission network. In a statement, NISO noted that the incident began at approximately 12:40pm on October 19, 2026. The operator stated that corrective measures were implemented in collaboration with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to stabilize the system. NISO clarified that the disruption affected only a section of the grid, countering unverified reports of a total collapse. By 5pm, supply had recovered to 2,150 megawatts, though it remained below the morning peak of 4,458 megawatts recorded at 6am.

The outage prompted several electricity distribution companies to issue public notices to their customers. Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) informed customers that supply from TCN was interrupted due to grid-related challenges. AEDC stated that TCN's technical team was working to restore stability and that power was gradually returning to its feeders. The company assured customers that efforts to restore full supply across its franchise area were ongoing.

Similarly, Ikeja Electric attributed reduced supply across its network to a shortfall in power allocated from the national grid. The distribution company said it was engaging stakeholders to improve available supply and would continue to distribute the electricity it received as efficiently as possible. The plants that went offline during the incident included Azura, Egbin, Jebba, and Kainji hydroelectric facilities. NISO confirmed that the national grid had returned to normal operation following the restoration efforts.