Blackout Worsens as 16 Power Plants Idle, Generation Crashes 62% to 2,033MW

Nigeria's electricity generation fell to 2,033.66 megawatts (MW) on Monday afternoon after 16 power plants recorded zero output, deepening blackouts across the country. Data from the Nigeria Independent System Operator (NISO) dashboard showed the figure as of 3pm on Monday, with only 13 generating plants producing electricity.

The drop is steep. Generation stood at 5,403MW on September 24, meaning output has fallen by more than 3,300MW, or roughly 62 per cent, in less than two weeks. That is a heavy blow to a grid that was already struggling to meet demand.

Major plants off the grid

The plants that stopped generating include some of the country's biggest names: Egbin, Geregu NIPP, Olorunsogo NIPP, Jebba, Kainji, Okpai, Rivers IPP, Trans Afam Power, Afam III Fast, Alaoji NIPP, Delta, GPAL, Ihovbor, MEPP and TAOPEX. The list covers hydro and gas-fired facilities across several states, so the shutdown is not isolated to one region or one fuel type.

The effect is felt most in major cities, where households, shops and factories depend on public supply to run. In Lagos, several communities and businesses within the Ikeja Electric franchise area were still without power as of 5pm on Monday. Many consumers had no clear idea when supply would return.

Businesses turn to diesel

Business owners said the prolonged outage was pushing up running costs as they switched to diesel-powered generators to keep operations going.

Moshood Adekunle, who operates a pure water factory in Ogba, said the blackout had forced his business to lean heavily on generators. He said the rising cost of diesel had added significantly to the company's expenses at a time when other business costs were already squeezing operators.

Residents of Iyana-Iba also complained about the outage. Jude Ezeobi, a resident of the area, said his neighbourhood had been without electricity for more than two days, describing the situation as a major challenge for households and small businesses.

Assurances versus reality

The latest collapse in generation comes despite recent assurances from the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, that Nigerians were beginning to see noticeable improvements in electricity supply.

Monday's numbers tell a different story. With 16 plants idle and total output at 2,033.66MW, the grid is running at a fraction of what the country needs, and the burden shifts to generators, fuel queues and higher production costs.

For Nigerian businesses, every day of grid collapse is a direct hit on margins. Diesel is priced in dollars-linked costs, and manufacturers, water producers and traders pass what they can to consumers. A sustained 62 per cent drop in generation will keep inflation pressure on goods and services, and it weakens the case for the supply improvements the ministry has promised.