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| Major cities plunged into darkness after grid collapse |
Nigeria’s national grid collapsed on September 10, 2025, plunging millions into darkness. The outage began at 11:23 a.m. local time. It affected major cities like Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt. The grid’s power generation dropped from 2,917 megawatts to just 1.5 megawatts in one hour .
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the collapse in a public statement. They said the outage was due to a "loss of supply from the national grid." The company assured customers that work was ongoing to restore power . Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company also reported no power in Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states .
The National Independent System Operator (NISO) blamed the collapse on a Generation Company (GenCo) tripping. This caused a sudden drop in electricity load. The drop cascaded to other GenCos, leading to a full system disturbance . NISO started restoring the grid at 11:45 a.m., beginning with Abuja from the Shiroro power plant. By afternoon, power was partly restored to areas like Benin, Eko, Ibadan, and Kano .
This is the third grid collapse in 2025. In 2024, the grid failed 13 times. Over the past decade, it has collapsed over 100 times . Each collapse costs the economy millions of dollars. It also disrupts daily life, businesses, and essential services.
Nigeria’s power grid is fragile and outdated. The country needs 33,000 megawatts of electricity but generates only 14,000 megawatts. This gap causes constant strain on the system .
One major cause is vandalism. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says vandalism of power equipment has risen by 30% over the past five years. Damaged transmission lines can trigger nationwide blackouts .
Aging infrastructure is another problem. Most power plants and grid lines are decades old. They lack maintenance and upgrades. The last major power plant built was the Egbin plant in Lagos in 1988. It has never run at full capacity .
Privatization of the power sector in 2013 was meant to improve efficiency. But it has not worked. Private investors have not invested enough in grid upgrades. The government still provides funds to support the sector .
Grid collapses cost Nigeria about $26 billion yearly in economic losses. Businesses suffer downtime and lost revenue. Small and medium enterprises are hit hardest. Many cannot afford backup power systems .
Power outages also affect healthcare. Hospitals rely on electricity for medical equipment and vaccines. Prolonged blackouts can endanger lives .
Water supply is disrupted because pumping stations need power. Communication networks fail. Traffic lights stop working, causing road chaos. Crime rates may rise during blackouts .
Households face extra costs from damaged appliances and alternative power sources. Nigerians spend about $22 billion yearly on generators and solar systems .
The government plans to create a "super grid" as a buffer against outages. This system would allow alternative transmission lines during failures .
NISO is investigating the latest collapse. They will take action based on the findings to prevent future incidents .
Some firms and a private university have approval to generate and distribute electricity. This could reduce reliance on the national grid .
Experts say Nigeria must decentralize its power grid. States should build their own grids and attract investments .
Investment in renewable energy like solar and wind is crucial. It would reduce reliance on fossil fuels and old power plants .
Consumers can use solar generators and backup power systems. Companies like EcoFlow offer portable solar power stations. These can keep homes and businesses running during outages .
The government must also fight vandalism. TCN is educating communities on protecting power equipment. They are working with security agencies to prevent theft and damage .
Nigeria’s power grid remains unstable despite years of reforms. The latest collapse shows how urgent the problem is. Fixing it requires investment, modern infrastructure, and better management. Without these, blackouts will continue to hurt the economy and daily life.