Eastern Nigeria Plunged into Darkness as National Grid Suffers Partial Collapse
A widespread blackout struck five South-East states in Nigeria on Thursday, February 19, 2026, following a partial collapse of the national electricity grid. The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) confirmed the system failure occurred at approximately 11:54 a.m., leading to a complete outage across its network.
Multiple Distribution Firms Affected
Emeka Ezeh, the Group Head of Corporate Communications at EEDC, stated that all subsidiary distribution firms were impacted by the grid disturbance. These include MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand, which supply electricity to Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Imo states.
The exact cause of the collapse remains undetermined, with EEDC awaiting further updates from the National Control Centre, the body responsible for managing electricity transmission nationwide. The company apologized to customers for the inconvenience and assured that restoration efforts are underway.
Stable Generation Versus Fragile Transmission
According to a report by BusinessDay, the outage occurred despite signs of relative stability in generation earlier in the day. National grid data showed electricity output had climbed to 3,861 megawatts before the disruption.
Energy experts note that strong generation figures do not automatically guarantee a steady supply. Weaknesses or faults within the transmission network can halt electricity delivery even when power plants are producing near-peak capacity.
Economic Implications for Businesses
For residents and business owners in commercial hubs such as Onitsha, Aba, and Enugu, the blackout has immediate economic consequences. Many small and medium-scale enterprises rely heavily on grid power to keep costs manageable. Prolonged outages often force them to switch to expensive diesel or petrol generators, eroding already thin profit margins.
Gas Maintenance to Reduce Supply by 934MW
The grid disturbance comes amid broader concerns over declining generation capacity linked to planned gas facility maintenance. The Nigerian Independent System Operator recently disclosed that a scheduled shutdown at a major gas facility would reduce electricity supply by 934.96 megawatts.
This represents nearly 20 percent of the country’s available generation capacity of 4,753.10MW, raising the risk of load shedding across several regions. In a statement titled Anticipated Gas Supply Constraints and Potential Load Management Measures, the system operator said the maintenance would temporarily restrict gas supply to key thermal power plants connected to the grid.
Three-Day Shutdown and Nationwide Impact
The gas facility maintenance is scheduled to run from February 12 to February 15, with full supply expected to resume on February 16, according to a Punch report. While the shutdown is temporary, its impact could be significant due to Nigeria’s heavy dependence on gas-fired power stations.
Any disruption in gas flow directly affects generation output, placing additional strain on an already fragile grid. Market participants and electricity consumers have been advised to brace for possible load management measures during the period of reduced supply.
Structural Vulnerabilities in Nigeria's Power Sector
Taken together, the grid collapse in the South-East and the ongoing gas supply constraints underscore the structural vulnerabilities within Nigeria’s power sector. Until transmission infrastructure is strengthened and generation diversified, recurring outages are likely to remain a feature of the country’s electricity landscape.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria’s electricity generation declined sharply last weekend after 17 of the country’s 25 power plants stopped producing power, reducing total output by 1,471.69 megawatts. Data obtained from the portal of the Nigerian Independent System Operator as of 2:10 p.m. showed that only eight plants were generating electricity at the time.
The country’s installed generation capacity is above 13,000MW, but under stable conditions, actual supply typically ranges between 4,000MW and 5,000MW. Sunday’s output of 1,471MW represents less than 12% of installed capacity.
