Electricity supply has been restored across Nigeria after a system disturbance caused a partial collapse of the national power grid on Monday, the Nigerian Independent System Operator has said.
NISO confirmed the development in a statement issued in Abuja, noting that the grid has now stabilised and power supply normalised in all parts of the country.
The system operator disclosed that the disturbance occurred at about 2:01pm on Monday, leading to widespread power outages before restoration efforts were completed.
“We wish to inform the general public and relevant stakeholders that the national grid experienced a system disturbance at 2.01pm on Monday, that led to a partial collapse,” NISO stated.
According to the operator, investigations are still ongoing to determine the exact cause and sequence of events that triggered the incident. It added that steps would be taken to prevent a repeat of such disruptions.
“Investigations into the cause and sequence of events leading to the system disturbance are currently ongoing, and appropriate measures shall be put in place to forestall future reoccurrence of such major system incidents,” the statement said.
NISO linked the fragility of the grid to earlier challenges in power generation caused by gas supply issues, recalling the vandalisation of the Lagos–Escravos–Lagos gas pipeline on December 10.
“It would be recalled that the Lagos–Escravos–Lagos gas pipeline was vandalised on December 10, which led to the shortage in power generation in the country. This has further led to the fragility and weakness of the national grid,” the operator noted.
Preliminary findings, according to NISO, showed that the disturbance involved the tripping of several power generation units and key 330 kilovolt transmission lines, resulting in power outages across many parts of the country.
However, it said the Delta generation complex was able to operate independently during the incident, helping to limit the impact in some areas.
“The Delta generation complex successfully operated on island mode at the 132kV sub-transmission voltage level. This enabled the continued supply of electricity to Oghara, Amukpe, Benin, and Efunrun 132kV substations, with a total generation of 114 megawatts from four units at the Delta Thermal Power Station,” NISO explained.
The system operator added that restoration efforts were promptly activated from the National Control Centre in Osogbo using established dispatch and monitoring procedures.
In its assurance to Nigerians, NISO said it remains committed to effective grid management and improved operational practices to guarantee a more stable and reliable electricity supply nationwide.
