By SUNTV Global Channel | December 29, 2025
Nigeria’s already fragile electricity system plunged into another crisis on Monday after the national power grid collapsed, triggering an emergency supply situation and leaving most parts of the country without electricity.
Data obtained by SUNTV Global Channel from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) revealed that total power generation suffered a dramatic drop within one hour, crashing from 2,052.37 megawatts (MW) to just 139.92MW between 2:00pm and 3:00pm—a clear sign of a major system disturbance.
The sharp fall immediately disrupted power distribution nationwide. Out of the country’s 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos), only three were able to take any load from the grid during the period, with total allocation standing at a mere 120MW.
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) received the highest allocation at 80MW, while Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Benin DisCo each received 20MW. All other DisCos were unable to load power from the grid.
According to NISO, the distribution companies that recorded zero allocation included Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt and Yola, underscoring the widespread impact of the grid collapse.
Independent monitoring platforms tracking Nigeria’s national grid confirmed the severity of the outage. As of 3:50pm on Monday, power supply remained extremely limited, with only Ibadan (80MW), Abuja (20MW) and Benin (20MW) DisCos receiving electricity, while the remaining DisCos stayed at 0MW.
The incident once again highlights the persistent vulnerability of Nigeria’s power infrastructure, where a single grid disturbance can rapidly cascade into nationwide outages. With generation sinking below 200MW at the height of the collapse, the grid was operating far below the level required to sustain meaningful electricity supply for homes, businesses and critical services.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to issue an official explanation for the collapse or provide a timeline for full restoration.
This latest incident follows a series of similar disruptions. On September 10, 2025, the national grid also collapsed, plunging the country into darkness, with only Abuja, Benin and Ibadan DisCos receiving minimal power. In March 2025, another major grid failure left several states, including Lagos, without electricity.
The recurring outages come despite recent government celebrations of what it described as a “historic rise” in power generation to 6,000MW. However, Monday’s disturbance once again saw generation plunge sharply—dropping below 1,000MW from about 4,000MW earlier in the day.
For many Nigerians, the latest collapse reinforces concerns about deep-rooted structural challenges in the electricity sector and raises fresh questions about the reliability of the national grid.
