Nigeria Restores Grid Output to 2828MW After Power Trippings

Nigeria's electricity generation recovered to 2,827.82 megawatts (MW) by 7am on Tuesday, October 20, after multiple transmission network trippings caused output to plunge the previous day and disrupted electricity supplies in parts of the country. Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that generation remained below Monday morning's level despite the recovery.

The rebound brought grid output up by approximately 2,424MW from the 404.01MW recorded at 9:15pm on Monday. Seventeen generation companies were supplying electricity on Tuesday morning, compared with just five at the previous night's reading, according to NISO's real-time generation report.

Despite the improvement, output remained approximately 1,012MW below the 3,840MW recorded at 7am on Monday, before the disruption began around 12:40pm. Generation had fallen to 476.70MW by 1pm, with most power plants reporting no electricity output on the grid.

NISO attributed the incident to multiple trippings on the 330-kilovolt (kV) transmission network. In a statement released Monday, the operator said the grid had been stabilized and returned to normal operation after corrective measures were implemented in collaboration with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The operator said the incident affected only part of the electricity network, disputing media reports suggesting a nationwide grid collapse. However, the reason generation remained depressed on Monday night, several hours after NISO declared the system stable, had not been explained as of the publication of the Tuesday report.

Earlier readings on Monday showed that generation had declined sharply from approximately 3,840MW at 7am to 476.70MW by 1pm, according to data published on the Nigerian Independent System Operator's online dashboard. The drop exceeded 3,300MW and coincided with consumer reports of electricity interruptions between approximately 12:45pm and 1:20pm.

At 1:23pm Monday, the dashboard showed output of about 480MW, with only five generation companies contributing electricity. Facilities including Odukpani NIPP, Omotosho and Sapele were producing limited amounts, while major plants such as Egbin, Jebba, Shiroro and Kainji recorded zero generation on the grid.

As reports of outages circulated, a senior NISO official speaking anonymously rejected claims of a system-wide disturbance and suggested that interruptions could have stemmed from localized problems.

"There is no disturbance at the moment. Probably if something is happening, maybe it is a local issue, but there is nothing on the grid," the official said.

The official explained that localized equipment trips and temporary interruptions do not necessarily indicate a collapse of the entire national grid.

"Some of these things are tripping or other minor issues that, within minutes, you just see that it is fixed," he said.

NISO said it had instructed its technical team to conduct a rapid system check to identify any irregularities. The episode followed recurring grid disturbances in Nigeria, where authorities have pursued measures to improve electricity system reliability.

The Federal Government had recently approved plans to develop new eastern and western power grids as part of broader efforts to address repeated failures and strengthen the country's electricity infrastructure.