Power Crisis Deepens, LCCI Seeks Probe Of National Grid
By NINI NDUONOFIT-AKOH
Nigeria’s Power Grid Suffers Second Collapse in Five Days
NIGERIA’S electricity grid was thrown into turmoil again on Tuesday after generation plunged to just 39 megawatts, highlighting deep structural weaknesses in the country’s power transmission system.
Although the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) later confirmed that the grid had been restored, business leaders say the recurrence is damaging confidence in the economy.
Sequence of Events
NISO said the disturbance occurred at 10:48 a.m., caused by a voltage anomaly traced to the Gombe Transmission Substation. The disturbance spread rapidly across the network, disrupting operations at the Jebba, Kainji and Ayede substations.
The tripping of transmission lines and generating units followed, resulting in a partial system collapse. According to NISO, corrective measures were immediately taken, and restoration commenced at 11:11 a.m., before supply was fully restored.
Power Plants Offline Nationwide
Grid data showed that during the incident, Delta Power Station was the only generating plant online, producing the entire 39MW available. Major facilities such as Egbin, Afam, Geregu, Kainji, Jebba and Azura-Edo were all offline.
Distribution companies also received zero load allocation, confirming a widespread power outage across the country of over 200 million people.
Economic Impact Raises Alarm
The Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Chinyere Almona, said the repeated collapses pose a serious risk to Nigeria’s economic consolidation plans for 2026.
She noted that many businesses were yet to recover from the previous grid failure on 23 January 2026, when generation dropped to zero megawatts, before the latest incident compounded losses.
Almona warned that grid instability increases operating costs, worsens inflation and weakens investor confidence. She urged the Federal Government to commission a transparent forensic audit of grid infrastructure, protection systems and operational governance.
Without urgent intervention, she said, grid failures could become routine. With decisive reforms, however, Nigeria could move closer to reliable power supply standards.
