Power outages and reduced electricity supply affected parts of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State on Monday, October 19, as Nigeria’s electricity generation fell by 87.59%, from 3,840 megawatts (MW) in the morning to 476.70MW by 1 p.m. The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), however, denied that the country had experienced a national grid collapse, saying there was no system-wide disturbance.
Sharp Drop in Generation Triggers Widespread Disruptions
The sharp drop began around 12:40 p.m., according to data from NISO’s grid monitoring portal. Major power plants, including Egbin, Jebba, Shiroro and Kainji, reportedly recorded zero output during the period, leaving only a handful of generating stations supplying electricity. The decline amounted to a loss of 3,363.30 MW in six hours.
Electricity distribution companies reported supply problems in different locations. Ikeja Electric said customers across its network in Lagos were receiving fewer hours of electricity because the amount of power allocated to it from the national grid had fallen.
Local Faults and Technical Issues Reported by DisCos
In Abuja, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company attributed outages affecting communities including Life Camp Extension, Kado Fish Market and Idu Karmo to a technical fault. In Ogun State, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company reported restrictions on the Ota/Papalanto/Abeokuta 132kV transmission network, reducing the electricity available to feeders serving areas including Ota, Ifo and Abeokuta.
The disruptions had different reported causes, and it remains unclear whether all were directly linked to Monday’s sharp fall in generation. NISO reportedly attributed the disruption to possible localised problems and equipment tripping, rather than a total collapse of the national grid. The operator said its technical team would investigate abnormalities.
New Control Centre Under Construction to Improve Monitoring
The disruption comes weeks after the Federal Government began building a new National Control Centre for NISO in Osogbo, Osun State, on September 30. The facility is designed to improve real-time grid monitoring and help operators identify faults and respond more quickly. It will replace an existing control centre that has operated for 64 years.
However, the new facility is still under construction. Its effectiveness will depend on whether improved monitoring and faster responses can help prevent local faults from escalating. It cannot, on its own, resolve every problem affecting generation, fuel supply or transmission infrastructure.
NISO’s investigation into Monday’s incident will be important in establishing why the generation fell so sharply and what measures are needed to prevent a recurrence.
