KEY POINTS
- Nigeria’s national grid collapsed on Wednesday, cutting generation from nearly 3,000 MW to 1.5 MW in under an hour.
- Abuja Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the outage, citing sudden grid failure at 11:23 a.m.
- Frequent nationwide blackouts underscore Nigeria’s fragile power infrastructure and rising pressure for reforms.
Nigeria’s fragile electricity network suffered another nationwide breakdown on Wednesday, plunging homes and businesses into darkness as power grid collapsed almost completely within an hour.
Data from the Independent System Operator showed that output fell from 2,917.83 megawatts to just 1.5 megawatts between 11 a.m. and noon, effectively wiping out supply across the country. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the incident, citing a sudden loss of supply from the national grid at 11:23 a.m.
“Please be informed that the power outage currently being experienced is due to a loss of supply from the national grid… affecting electricity supply across our franchise areas,” the company said in a message to customers. “We are working closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure power is restored once the grid is stabilized.”
Frequent Breakdowns Deepen Investor and Consumer Frustrations
The latest failure highlights the ongoing volatility of Nigeria’s power sector, where repeated grid collapses have become a hallmark of an industry grappling with aging infrastructure, inadequate investment, and rising demand. The country, Africa’s most populous with over 220 million people, routinely struggles to generate and distribute more than 5,000 megawatts—far below what its economy requires.
Frequent collapses have fueled criticism of reforms meant to attract private investment since the power sector was privatized in 2013. Despite government pledges to boost generation capacity, Nigerians continue to rely heavily on diesel and petrol generators, driving up household and business costs.
Energy experts warn that unless transmission and distribution infrastructure are modernized, Nigeria’s grid will remain prone to nationwide outages, undermining industrial productivity and economic growth.
Wednesday’s collapse adds to the series of blackouts recorded this year, intensifying calls for urgent upgrades and more transparent communication from operators and regulators. For businesses and households, the immediate focus remains on when power will return — and how long it will last before the next collapse.
