Nigeria’s power sector was hit by another setback on Wednesday as the national grid collapsed, plunging large parts of the country into darkness.

 

Data from the Independent System Operator (ISO) revealed that electricity generation nosedived from 2,917.83 megawatts (MW) to just 1.5 MW between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

 

Confirming the development, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) announced in a statement on X that the blackout resulted from a grid failure at 11:23 a.m., cutting supply across its franchise areas.

 

“The power outage currently being experienced is due to a loss of supply from the national grid, affecting electricity supply across our franchise areas. Efforts are ongoing with relevant stakeholders to restore power once the grid is stabilized,” AEDC stated.

 

As of the time of reporting, the Federal Capital Territory remained in total blackout, though some parts of the country still had electricity supply, indicating a partial grid collapse rather than a total system shutdown.

 

An update from the Nigeria National Grid at 1:38 p.m. confirmed that only 290 MW had been restored nationwide, distributed as follows:

 

Abuja DisCo – 20 MW

 

Benin DisCo – 40 MW

 

Eko DisCo – 60 MW

 

Enugu DisCo – 40 MW

 

Ibadan DisCo – 50 MW

 

Ikeja DisCo – 80 MW

 

Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Yola DisCos – 0 MW

 

 

Electricity consumers across the country are anxiously awaiting full restoration as power firms and government agencies work to stabilize the grid.