National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) on Wednesday suffered a national grid collapse, leading to a total system shutdown across the country.
The grid, which had been generating 1,214 megawatts at 3 pm, completely crashed to 0 megawatts by 4 pm, leaving many parts of the nation without power.
Confirming the development, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) notified its customers of a system disturbance, which it said occurred earlier in the day.
“We experienced a system disturbance at 3:34 am, which has affected power supply to our customers. Efforts to restore electricity are currently ongoing,” the company stated.
While the exact cause of the collapse remains unclear, industry sources suggest that load imbalances, infrastructure failures, or gas supply constraints could be contributing factors.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
This marks yet another recurring failure of the national grid, which has collapsed multiple times in recent years, raising concerns over the country’s fragile electricity infrastructure.
A Lagos-based energy expert, Dr. Segun Ajayi, criticised the frequent breakdowns, calling for urgent reforms.
“It is unacceptable that a country of over 200 million people still experiences grid collapses. The government must prioritise investments in power generation and transmission to prevent these disruptions,” he said.
As restoration efforts continue, Nigerians have expressed frustration over the blackout, with many taking to social media to lament the impact on businesses and daily activities.
A trader in Abuja, Mrs. Grace Okonkwo, shared her ordeal: “I run a frozen food business, and every time the grid collapses, I lose a lot of stock. We need a more stable power system in this country.”
Electricity distribution companies across the nation have assured customers that power restoration is in progress.
However, many Nigerians remain sceptical, citing previous collapses that took days to fully resolve.
The situation remains fluid, and further updates are expected from NESI and TCN.
