•NISO denies national grid collapse
BOMA DIEPRIYE
NIGERIA: Nigeria’s electricity generation plunged by about 88 per cent on Monday, dropping from approximately 3,840 megawatts (MW) at 7am to just 476.70MW by 1pm, as several major power plants recorded zero output.
The dramatic decline triggered power outages in parts of the country, raising fresh concerns about the stability and reliability of Nigeria’s electricity supply system, which has experienced repeated disruptions and generation shortfalls.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator’s (NISO) real-time generation portal, niggrid.org, showed that electricity generation remained relatively stable during the morning before suffering a sharp decline at about 12.40pm.
Within a few hours, more than 3,300MW of electricity generation disappeared from the national grid, according to the dashboard.
By the 1pm reading, only a handful of generating stations were contributing electricity to the grid, with Odukpani NIPP, Omotosho and Sapele among the plants recording limited output.
Several major power stations, including Egbin, Jebba, Shiroro and Kainji, recorded zero generation, alongside multiple gas-fired generating facilities.
At about 1.23pm, the NISO dashboard put real-time electricity generation at approximately 480MW, with only five generating companies recording output.
The sharp decline coincided with reports of electricity outages, as consumers in different locations took to social media to complain about interruptions between approximately 12.45pm and 1.20pm.
Despite the steep fall in generation, NISO dismissed suggestions that the national grid had collapsed.
The system operator maintained that there was no evidence of a nationwide grid disturbance at the time, adding that its technical team was working to establish the cause of the unusual decline in electricity generation.
“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. Some of these things are trippings or other minor issues that, within minutes, you just see that it is fixed,” a senior NISO official said.
The official’s explanation notwithstanding, the plunge in generation to below 500MW raised fresh questions about the resilience of Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure and the ability of the system to sustain reliable power supply to homes and businesses.
