Nigeria’s national electricity grid experienced a significant collapse on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, around 11:20 am, plunging substantial parts of the country into darkness. This incident, which marked another disruption in the nation’s power supply, saw power generation plummet from 2,917.83 megawatts (MW) to a mere 1.5 MW between 11 am and 12 pm, according to data from the Independent System Operator (ISO).

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), the entity responsible for managing the national grid, attributed the collapse to the tripping of a generation company (GenCo). This single event triggered a significant load drop, which then cascaded to other generation companies, ultimately leading to a widespread system disturbance. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) confirmed the blackout, stating that the power outage was a direct result of the loss of supply from the national grid at 11:23 am, affecting all its franchise areas.

Restoration efforts commenced swiftly, with NISO initiating the process at 11:45 hrs, beginning with the supply to Abuja from the Shiroro power plant. Substantial restoration has since been achieved across the country, with power supply gradually returning to parts of Abuja. NISO has also launched a full investigation to ascertain both the immediate and root causes of the grid collapse, promising that the findings will inform remedial and proactive actions to prevent future occurrences.

This latest collapse adds to a troubling pattern of recurring grid failures that have plagued Nigeria’s electricity system. The country has witnessed repeated breakdowns over the past year, often resulting in nationwide blackouts and highlighting persistent weaknesses in the power infrastructure. Previous incidents include widespread outages in February and January, although the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had at those times denied reports of multiple failures or total collapses. In July, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) acknowledged pushing the System Operator (SO) to improve coordination, even while stating there was no national grid collapse in the first quarter of 2025.

In a strongly worded statement, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned the total collapse, describing it as a “deliberate failure engineered by the government and the ruling elite.” The labour union, through its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, expressed “utter disgust, yet a complete lack of surprise,” viewing the incident as an inevitable outcome of a power sector it believes is “designed for perpetual darkness.” The NLC asserted that the problem is not merely technical but fundamentally structural, stemming from “predatory power sector governance and a kwashiorkor economic model.”

The NLC further criticized the current administration and the broader