Large parts of Nigeria experienced power outages on Monday after electricity generation on the national grid plunged from about 3,840 megawatts (MW) in the morning to approximately 476.70MW by early afternoon.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that generation remained relatively stable in the early hours before falling sharply around 12:40 p.m., with several major power plants recording zero output.
The disruption left the national grid with less than 500MW, resulting in reduced electricity allocations to distribution companies (Discos) and widespread blackouts across the country.
A later review of NISO’s distribution load allocation dashboard indicated a gradual restoration of supply, with the 11 electricity distribution companies receiving a combined allocation of 2,745MW. However, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Yola Discos reportedly received no allocation at the time.
Earlier, Ikeja Electric attributed reduced electricity supply to a shortfall in power allocated from the national grid.
In a statement issued Monday evening, NISO confirmed that the national grid experienced multiple trippings on the 330kV transmission network at about 12:40 p.m.
The operator said corrective measures were immediately implemented in collaboration with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), leading to the restoration of normal operations.
NISO, however, clarified that the incident affected only a section of the grid and urged the public to disregard unverified reports regarding a total grid collapse.
