Nigeria's Power Generation Drops 88%, Causing Outages

On October 19, Nigeria experienced a significant drop in electricity generation, which fell by about 88%, from approximately 3,840 megawatts (MW) at 7am to 476.70MW by 1pm. This sharp decline was marked by several major generating plants reporting zero output, leading to electricity outages across various regions.

Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicated that generation was stable in the morning but began to decline sharply around 12.40pm. Within a few hours, more than 3,300MW of generation was lost from the grid.

By the 1pm reading, only a few generating stations, including Odukpani NIPP, Omotosho, and Sapele, were contributing electricity, while major power stations such as Egbin, Jebba, Shiroro, and Kainji recorded no generation, alongside several gas-fired facilities.