Nigeria’s National Electricity Grid Experiences System Disturbance, Restoration Underway

On Monday, 29 December 2025, Nigeria’s national electricity grid suffered a partial system disturbance at approximately 2:01 pm, resulting in a significant drop in power generation and widespread outages across the country. Generation, which had peaked at around 4,800 MW earlier in the day, fell sharply to as low as 139 MW by 3:00 pm, affecting all 22 connected power plants initially.

The incident occurred amid ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) to stabilise generation following recent gas supply constraints linked to the vandalism of the Escravos-Lagos pipeline in early December. Distribution companies, including Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), confirmed the outage and appealed for patience as restoration commenced in coordination with stakeholders.

By evening, partial recovery was achieved, with key plants such as Azura (403 MW), Delta (152 MW), Kainji (120 MW), Okpai (204 MW), and Omotosho (30 MW) contributing to an increase in available generation to approximately 900 MW initially, and further rising to nearly 3,000 MW later that night. NISO reported that swift response measures from the National Control Centre in Osogbo ensured gradual stabilisation, with full supply restored nationwide by late Monday.

This marks the fourth grid disturbance in 2025, a notable improvement from over 12 incidents the previous year, though it underscores persistent vulnerabilities in grid reliability, including gas infrastructure challenges and transmission constraints. NISO is investigating the precise cause and has reaffirmed its commitment to enhanced stakeholder collaboration across the power and gas value chains to minimise future risks.

Experts have highlighted the need for structural reforms, such as reintegrating bulk consumers to the grid and redirecting investments from alternative energy sources to bolster overall stability and reduce electricity costs for end-users.