Nigeria’s electricity generation fell sharply to 675 megawatts (MW) on Monday afternoon after multiple power plants disconnected from the national grid, forcing distribution companies to warn customers of reduced supply.
Figures from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that generation declined from 3,647MW at noon to 675MW by 1pm, a reduction of 2,972MW within an hour.
The incident also affected the number of generating plants connected to the grid. While 21 plants were supplying electricity before the disruption, the number fell to 12 by 1pm. Among the facilities reported to have gone offline were Azura, Egbin, Jebba and Kainji hydroelectric power plants.
The decline followed stronger generation earlier in the day, when supply stood at 4,331MW at 1am and peaked at 4,458MW by 6am. Output subsequently dropped to 3,647MW at noon before falling further in the early afternoon.
Generation improved to 2,150MW by 5pm, recovering 1,475MW from the 1pm level, although supply remained below the morning peak.
The disruption prompted Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to notify customers that electricity delivery from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had been affected by a grid-related problem.
AEDC said TCN’s technical team was working to stabilise the system and that electricity was gradually returning to its distribution feeders. The company apologised for the inconvenience and said efforts to restore supply across its coverage area were continuing.
Ikeja Electric also attributed reduced electricity availability across its network to a decline in the power allocated to it from the national grid. It said it was engaging relevant stakeholders to improve supply and would distribute the available electricity as fairly and efficiently as possible.
In a statement, NISO said the incident occurred at approximately 12:40pm on October 19, following multiple trips on the 330-kilovolt transmission network.
The operator said it worked with TCN to implement corrective measures, stabilise the grid and restore normal operations. It later announced that restoration had been completed.
NISO clarified that the incident affected only a section of the national grid, cautioning against unverified reports suggesting a wider disruption.
