Nigeria’s power supply collapsed to 273 megawatts in the early hours of Thursday, from 4,182MW recorded on Monday, following a complete system collapse due to equipment failure or grid disturbance.

According to data obtained by Vanguard from the Nigeria Electricity System Operator, the semi-autonomous arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, it showed that Afam VI, Dadinkowa, Ibom Power, Jebba, and Olorunsogo generated 0.70MW, 0.00MW, 32.90MW, 240MW, and zero MW respectively.

A top industry leader, who confirmed the development, said “The grid has been very unstable for days before the latest system collapse. As we speak, there is blackout.” as reported by Vanguard

Nigeria’s electricity generation dropped on Tuesday by 59% to 1,705MW from 4,182MW recorded the previous day at 06:00hours, due to grid disturbance.

This has led to many households and businesses generating their own independent power at higher costs because of the high price of diesel and petrol.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had promised Nigerians that they will witness improved power supply across the nation soon.

Speaking at a recent reception organized for him, he said: “We know it’s not something that is achievable overnight but we believe that once the foundation is laid, others can also build on it. I can tell you that between six months and one year, we will start seeing improvement in the power sector.“

The power sector has been plagued by problems for years, including poor infrastructure, inadequate funding, and corruption. The government has promised to address these problems, but it remains to be seen when Nigerians will see a significant improvement in power supply.