Nigeria's national electricity grid experienced another significant system collapse on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, plunging approximately 30 states into total blackout and leaving numerous distribution companies (Discos) with zero power supply. Data obtained from the Independent System Operator (ISO) revealed a drastic reduction in power generation, plummeting from 2,917.83 megawatts (MW) to a mere 1.5 MW between 11 am and 12 pm on Wednesday. This latest incident, which occurred around 11:20 am to 11:23 am, marks another disruption in the country's often unstable power system, with some reports indicating that all Discos across the country, aside from Ibadan Disco, experienced zero megawatt loads.

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) was among the first to confirm the widespread outage, issuing statements to its customers via various channels, including its official X handle. AEDC informed its customers that the power outage across its franchise areas was due to a loss of supply from the national grid, which occurred around 11:23 am. The company assured customers that it was working closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure power restoration once the grid stabilized, extending gratitude for their patience and understanding.

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), the entity responsible for electricity system operations and managing load allocation from generation companies to distribution companies and eligible customers, subsequently provided an explanation for the disturbance. According to NISO, the system disturbance was caused by the tripping of a Generation Company (Genco) facility. This tripping resulted in a significant load drop that cascaded to other Gencos, leading to the system-wide collapse. NISO indicated that the latest incident took place around 11:20 am, leading to zero supply to the 12 Distribution Companies (Discos) in the country.

NISO announced that it immediately commenced the restoration of the grid at 11:45 am, shortly after the incident. Restoration efforts began with supplying power to Abuja from the Shiroro power plant, and substantial progress has since been made across the country. By approximately 3:05 pm on Wednesday, NISO data indicated that about 495 MW of the over 4,000 MW available earlier had been restored. The Assistant General Manager, Corporate Communication of NISO, Kazah Bili Akau, also indicated that the public would be updated soon regarding the development, while DAILY POST reported that power supply had been restored in parts of Abuja.

A full investigation into both the immediate and remote causes of this grid collapse is currently underway. NISO emphasized that the findings from this investigation report would be crucial in determining the necessary remedial and proactive actions to prevent future occurrences. This latest disruption adds to a concerning pattern, with over 100 grid collapses reported in Nigeria over the past decade, highlighting persistent challenges in the stability and reliability of the nation's electricity system. As of press time for one report, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had yet to provide any updates regarding the causes of the grid collapse.