The Federal Government has provided fresh updates on the recent collapse of Nigeria’s national electricity grid, confirming ongoing restoration efforts and outlining technical factors that contributed to the widespread outage that left large parts of the country without power.
Officials monitoring the grid’s performance said the system experienced frequency and voltage fluctuations that triggered protective mechanisms, resulting in the grid shutting down to prevent damage to generating units and transmission infrastructure. The failure, the second major collapse within a week, affected electricity supply across multiple states, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Kaduna.
Energy authorities reported that teams from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and distribution companies were engaged in synchronising generating stations and progressively restoring connections to the transmission network. Some regions saw partial reconnection within 24 hours, while full reinstatement of stable supply was expected to take several days.
The government said that the system collapse was linked to the sudden loss of generation capacity, which outpaced the grid’s ability to maintain stable frequency. Authorities are reviewing operational data to understand the sequence of events that led to the disturbance and to identify technical weaknesses that require remediation.
In the interim, they urged consumers to prepare for intermittent power supply as the restoration continues, stressing that grid stabilisation must precede reliable distribution. The collapse deepened concerns about the overall resilience of Nigeria’s electricity network, which has long struggled with insufficient generation, transmission bottlenecks and infrastructure deficits.
The update also underscored the need for improved coordination between generation companies, the private distribution companies and the TCN to better manage load variation and system contingencies. Government representatives affirmed that reforms aimed at boosting generation capacity, enhancing grid infrastructure and reducing system losses remain policy priorities.
Industry analysts said the repeated grid failure highlights structural challenges in Nigeria’s energy sector, including ageing transmission equipment, fuel supply inconsistencies for power plants, and maintenance backlogs. They noted that long-term investments including developing decentralised energy options and strengthening grid hardware are needed to reduce the likelihood of future collapses.
Electricity consumers expressed frustration over the repeated power outages, saying disruptions have affected households and businesses. Business owners in major commercial centres reported losses and the need to rely increasingly on alternative power solutions, including generators, until stable grid supply is restored.
