KEY POINTS
- Egbin Power Plant, Nigeria’s largest thermal station, was shut down and disconnected from the national grid after a fatal underwater accident involving a contractor.
- The incident occurred during maintenance work when a pump system reportedly activated unexpectedly, trapping and killing the diver inside a lagoon-based facility.
- Full restoration of operations remains uncertain as safety investigations continue, raising concerns about contractor safety in critical national infrastructure.
Egbin Power Plc, Nigeria’s largest thermal electricity generation station, has been forced to shut down operations and disconnect from the national grid following a fatal industrial accident that occurred on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The incident, which involved a contractor working inside the plant’s lagoon-based pump system, immediately triggered a full operational suspension at the facility.
The plant, located in Lagos State, is a major contributor to Nigeria’s electricity supply, with an installed capacity of 1,320 megawatts across six generating units. It is responsible for more than 16 per cent of electricity fed into the national grid, making its sudden shutdown a significant disruption to national power output.
The accident reportedly occurred around 8 p.m. when a diver engaged for underwater maintenance work entered the lagoon pump house to carry out a recovery operation on equipment within the facility. According to sources familiar with the incident, the diver was working to retrieve or stabilise a pump that had fallen into the water section of the system.
Tragedy struck when the pumping system unexpectedly became active while the diver was still inside the restricted underwater area. The moving machinery allegedly trapped the contractor in the impeller system, resulting in fatal injuries.
The diver was said to be working under a subcontract arrangement for underwater industrial services at the plant, a role that involves maintaining and servicing submerged infrastructure critical to Egbin’s operations
Full shutdown triggered as safety investigations begin
Following the incident, operations in the affected section of the plant were immediately halted, and the shutdown quickly expanded to cover the entire facility. Safety protocols were activated, leading to Egbin Power Plc being completely taken off the national grid as engineers and safety officials commenced investigations.
The plant is operated under a joint venture involving Sahara Power Group and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). As of the time of reporting, both Egbin Power Plc and the contracting firm involved in the operation had not issued official statements on the incident.
The contracting company, Browndive Underwater Services, is known for providing underwater engineering and maintenance services to industrial clients across Nigeria, including energy and maritime firms.
The shutdown has raised broader concerns about contractor safety within critical national infrastructure, particularly in high-risk environments such as power generation facilities. Authorities are expected to review operational safety procedures at the plant as investigations continue into the circumstances that led to the fatal accident.
Industry insiders suggest that the timeline for restoring full operations remains uncertain, as the resumption of power generation will depend on the outcome of ongoing safety assessments and regulatory reviews.
