The Federal Government of Nigeria has confirmed that electricity has returned to parts of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Kwara states, along with the Federal Capital Territory. Power Minister Joseph Tegbe announced on Monday that the damaged Benin-Egbin 330-kilovolt line was fixed and is now transmitting power. According to Punch, this repair boosted the energy flow to the Lagos grid to above 1,000 megawatts, a level that matches what was available before the recent outages. AllAfrica noted that Tegbe shared this update on social media, confirming that teams are still working to fix remaining issues in other locations.
The recent disruptions stemmed from a mix of planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Station, low gas volumes for thermal plants, and physical damage to transmission assets. In a statement last Friday, Tegbe explained that these factors reduced the total power on the national grid. He noted that operators used load shedding to balance the system, while the sabotage of key lines blocked alternative routes for sending power to Lagos. The Nigerian Independent System Operator cited gas shortages and lower water levels in hydro reservoirs as the main reasons for the drop in generation, which led to fewer supply hours for end-users.
Tegbe also revealed that authorities are repairing the Osogbo-Ikeja West 330kV route, which has been offline for roughly 18 months. Punch reported that this line can add 400 megawatts to the Lagos network but was damaged when about six towers in a swampy zone were vandalized. The government has secured a promise from the Transmission Company of Nigeria to finish the work by late November. Tegbe pointed out that Lagos relies on four main transmission paths, yet only three were active, limiting options during the current crisis.
When asked about long-term reliability, Tegbe suggested that stable power is achievable within three to five years. AllAfrica reported that the minister believes ongoing grid upgrades will allow residents to work from home without frequent blackouts. He emphasized that the ministry is coordinating with generation firms, the system operator, and distribution companies to maintain the recent gains and prevent further declines in service quality.