…Third Incidents in 2025
Nigeria’s fragile electricity supply network suffered another major setback on Wednesday as the national grid collapsed, cutting power to millions of households and businesses across the country.
This marked the third grid collapse in 2025, raising fresh concerns asabout the stability of the network and the government’s ability to guarantee reliable electricity to Africa’s most populous nation.
Data from the Nigerian System Operator’s portal showed that system frequency dropped sharply around midday, leading to a nationwide blackout. At the peak of the outage, grid load allocation to all 10 Distribution Companies fell to zero megawatts, according to the Independent System Operator’s dashboard.
The incident affected major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu and Kaduna. In some areas, electricity was restored after several hours, while many communities remained in darkness well into the evening.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator, in a brief statement on Wednesday, attributed the collapse to a “system disturbance” caused by generation constraints and frequency imbalance.
The operator explained that the tripping of a generation company resulted in a significant load drop, which cascaded to other power plants and eventually led to the system collapse.
It said restoration began at 11:45 am with supply to Abuja from the Shiroro power plant, and substantial progress was achieved later in the day.
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Distribution companies, including Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Ikeja Electric, issued notices confirming the nationwide outage and apologised to customers.
Abuja DisCo explained that the blackout was triggered by the loss of supply from the national grid at 11:23 am, while Ikeja Electric described the incident as a “system collapse.”
Both companies assured customers that they were working with relevant agencies to restore supply as quickly as possible.
The latest collapse follows two similar incidents earlier in the year. In March, the grid went down, plunging much of the country into darkness, while in February a system disturbance left several states without supply, though officials initially downplayed reports of a collapse.
Energy experts say the frequency of grid failures underscores the persistent challenges facing Nigeria’s power sector.
Despite multiple reforms, the privatisation of the power sector in 2013, and billions of naira in intervention funds, the country still struggles with inadequate generation, transmission bottlenecks and weak infrastructure maintenance.
“Nigeria’s electricity problem has become a national embarrassment,” said Jide Pratt, Country Manager of TradeGrid and COO of Aiona. “Up NEPA is a 50-year-old problem, and at this stage, regardless of who or the size of the problem, it should be a sackable offence. But what do I know?”
Although Nigeria has an installed power generation capacity of about 12,500 megawatts, actual delivery to consumers rarely exceeds 4,000 megawatts due to gas shortages, turbine failures and transmission constraints.
This gap between capacity and actual supply has made the system highly vulnerable to frequent collapses. Official data shows that Nigeria has recorded more than 220 grid collapses in the past decade, underscoring the depth of the crisis.
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For businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, the outages translate into higher costs as many are forced to rely on petrol and diesel generators.
Higher petrol prices have compounded the burden, with operators warning of reduced productivity and potential job cuts if the energy crisis persists.
The latest Africa Trade Barometer report estimated that Nigeria loses about $26 billion annually due to electricity shortages. The report further noted that businesses spend an additional $22 billion each year on fuel for off-grid generators, a cost that pushes up operating expenses and erodes profitability.
For households, the impact has been equally harsh. Many residents have been forced to turn to alternative energy solutions such as solar panels, rechargeable lamps and inverters to cope with the instability. Social media platforms were flooded with complaints on Wednesday as consumers expressed their frustration.
One Lagos resident wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Nigerians had become accustomed to “another round of candle nights,” adding that it was shocking the country was still dealing with such problems in 2025.
Successive governments have pledged to fix the power sector, but progress has been slow. The 2013 privatisation was intended to improve efficiency and attract investment, yet years later the system remains plagued by liquidity problems, poor infrastructure and regulatory uncertainty.
Analysts say a complete overhaul of the sector is overdue, with bold reforms needed to diversify the energy mix, strengthen transmission networks and create better incentives for private investment.
They also argue that decentralised solutions such as embedded power projects and mini-grids could reduce dependence on the fragile national grid and provide more stable alternatives for communities.
“Fixing Nigeria’s power sector requires more than promises; it requires a sustained commitment to funding, transparency and accountability,” Tunde Adekoya, Abuja-based energy consultant, said on X. “Until then, businesses and households will continue to pay the price for an unreliable grid.”
The third grid collapse of 2025 is another stark reminder of the structural weaknesses undermining Nigeria’s electricity sector. While restoration efforts continue, the bigger question remains whether the country can finally address the systemic flaws that keep the grid unstable.
For millions of Nigerians, the answer cannot come soon enough.
