On Wednesday, September 10, millions across Nigeria unexpectedly found themselves without power yet again due to another national grid collapse. In the immediate aftermath, electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) reportedly received less than 200 megawatts (MW) of power to distribute throughout the entire country, a situation that left households and businesses scrambling for solutions.
According to real-time data from the Nigerian System Operator’s portal, the grid suffered a dramatic drop: at 1:00 p.m. local time, the national load profile plummeted to just 120 MW. This is a sharp contrast to the typical average of around 4,000 MW usually supplied and highlights persistent vulnerability within Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
What Led to the Nationwide Blackout?
With the grid collapse, the sudden disconnection impacted virtually every class of customer—homes, small businesses, hospitals, schools, manufacturers—across Nigeria’s regions. The event, while not unprecedented, continues to expose the longstanding challenges facing the national electricity supply chain, from inadequate generation to problems with transmission and distribution networks.
Industry observers say such major blackouts have, over the years, complicated economic activity, increased reliance on expensive alternatives like generators and inverters, and pushed up costs for both businesses and individuals. According to Samuel Akinyemi, an energy sector analyst based in Lagos, “Unstable power supply affects productivity across the nation, especially for MSMEs, which are the backbone of the Nigerian economy.”
DisCos Update Citizens on the Grid Situation
As reports of outages spread, several distribution companies quickly took to social media and official channels to clarify the cause of the disruption. Most DisCos attempted to reassure their customers, stating that steps were being taken in partnership with Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to restore supply as soon as possible.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), serving the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding areas, released an official update:
“Please be informed that the power outage currently being experienced is due to a loss of supply from the national grid at 11:23 a.m. today, affecting electricity supply across our franchise areas. Rest assured, we are working closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure power is restored once the grid is stabilised. Thank you for your patience and understanding. For further updates or inquiries, call: 08039070070. WhatsApp: 08152141414, 08152151515.”
Similarly, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), covering parts of the South-South region, posted an announcement to inform their customers:
“Dear Esteemed Customer, please note that the outage currently experienced in all our franchise is due to loss of supply from all our Transmission Stations. Consequently, there is no supply in our four franchise States namely: Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. We appeal to our valued customers to exercise patience while this situation lasts. Power will be restored as soon as possible. All inconveniences are regretted. – Management, PHED.”
Photo: Benson Ibeabuchi
Source: Getty Images
Ikeja Electric, one of Lagos’ largest DisCos, also addressed its customers through the X platform (formerly Twitter), providing timely information and urging calm while engineers worked on restoration.
“Dear Esteemed Customer, please be informed that we experienced a complete loss of supply to all our feeders at 11:20 hrs today (10/09/2025). We regret any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your understanding as we work in collaboration with our critical stakeholders to restore supply promptly. – Management, Ikeja Electric.”
Eko Electricity Distribution Company shared its own update with stakeholders:
View EKEDP’s official post.
“Dear Valued Customer, we regret to inform you that at 11:20 hrs today, we experienced a widespread power outage affecting our entire network, resulting in a loss of supply to our customers. At present, the exact cause of this interruption is unknown, and we are actively working to determine the root cause of the issue. Meanwhile, restoration efforts are underway, and we have begun receiving supply across some of our feeders. Our teams are working diligently, in collaboration with our Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) partners, to expedite the restoration of power supply across our network as swiftly as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
The National Grid Collapse: Causes and Patterns
Nigeria’s national electricity grid has a long history of instability. Grid collapses—both partial and total—are not new, and the causes range from technical faults and poor maintenance to supply disruption, transformer failures, and issues with managing system frequency. According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigeria suffered at least four major grid collapses in 2022, and more than ten in the last three years.
A technical director at the TCN, requesting anonymity, explained: “The grid operates as one connected system. Any major shock or fault—whether from a transmission line tripping or a sudden drop in power generation—can lead to cascading failures. With limited backup and ageing infrastructure, the risk of collapse is always present.”
Comparatively, countries like Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have seen fewer grid-related blackouts in recent years, owing in part to investments in newer power transmission equipment and flexible generation methods. However, Nigeria’s larger population and rising demand continue to strain available capacity.
How Are Nigerians Coping? Voices from the Ground
In local markets, families often turn to small gasoline or diesel generators—or “I beta pass my neighbour” sets—as an alternative when outages hit. Yet, with volatile fuel prices and rising operating costs, even this option is proving burdensome for many.
“I have a salon in Kubwa, Abuja. When the light goes off suddenly like this, we are forced to switch to generator, but the cost eats deep into our profit,” says Maryam Usman, a business owner who has seen operating expenses rise. “If only the supply could be reliable, many small businesses would survive better.”
Hospitals, cold-storage businesses, and manufacturing plants report similar difficulties. According to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Emeka Chibundu of a public hospital in Lagos, “Power cuts put patients at risk, especially in emergency units and surgical theaters. Constant electricity is not just a convenience; it is a necessity.”
Glimmer of Change: The Move Toward Pay-As-You-Go Electricity
As the country grapples with chronic power woes, the federal government has signalled a significant policy shift. According to Legit.ng, authorities have revealed plans to roll out a pay-as-you-go billing model for electricity consumption to ultimately phase out government-funded subsidies.
Wale Edun, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, made the announcement at a press briefing in Abuja on the Thursday following the grid collapse. The proposed system, he says, would encourage more efficient electricity usage and ease financial pressure on the government. “We understand the concerns of citizens, but targeted interventions will be made to protect the most vulnerable while ensuring sustainability in the power sector,” Edun noted.
The finance minister went on to highlight the fiscal context: in the first half of the year, federal allocations to subnational governments reportedly rose from N2.1 trillion to nearly N7 trillion, driven in part by reforms in subsidy spending and revenue collection. “This reallocation,” Edun explained, “should be channelled toward much-needed sectoral investment, including energy.”
What’s Next for Nigeria’s Power Sector?
As more Nigerians demand accountability and reliability, experts warn that grid problems won’t be solved by policy alone. There is a pressing need for both public and private investment in modernizing infrastructure, upgrading transmission lines, and incentivizing power producers to bring new capacity online. According to Chinedu Okeke, an energy policy specialist: “Reforms must go beyond changing payment structures. We need new transmission corridors, real-time monitoring, and better investment in renewables.”
At the same time, there are concerns about the impact of subsidy removal and prepaid systems on the poorest citizens, many of whom already spend a significant portion of their income on basic utilities. Regulators say targeted subsidies or safety nets may be implemented to ensure no one is left behind—a move that echoes global trends in pay-as-you-go utilities, visible in parts of East Africa and South Asia.
For now, ordinary Nigerians, Ghanaian neighbours, and others across West Africa are watching closely as Nigeria attempts to fix its perennial power dilemma—a situation that has ripple effects across the region’s interconnected energy networks and, by extension, economic growth.
How do you think persistent electricity issues have shaped life and work in your area? What changes do you believe are most urgent for Nigeria’s power sector? Share your thoughts below or join the conversation on our social channels.
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