Nigeria’s grid electricity supply plunged by 81.5 per cent to 675 megawatts (MW) on Monday afternoon following multiple trippings on the national grid, forcing electricity distribution companies to notify customers of supply constraints.

Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that electricity generation fell from 3,647MW at noon to 675MW by 1pm, representing a loss of 2,972MW within one hour.

The incident also affected power generation from several plants, including Azura, Egbin, Jebba and Kainji hydroelectric power plants.

The sharp decline followed relatively higher supply levels earlier in the day, with the grid recording 4,331MW at 1am and 4,458MW at 6am before falling to 3,647MW by noon.

Electricity supply later recovered to 2,150MW by 5pm, an improvement of 1,475MW from the 1pm level, although it remained significantly below the morning peak.

The development prompted electricity distribution companies, including Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ikeja Electric, to issue public notices explaining the supply constraints.

In a notice to customers, AEDC said electricity supply from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had been interrupted by a grid-related challenge.

The company said TCN’s technical team was working to restore grid stability, adding that power supply was gradually being restored to its feeders.

“We assure you that efforts are ongoing to restore full supply across our franchise area as soon as the situation permits,” AEDC said, while apologising for the inconvenience caused by the interruption.

Similarly, Ikeja Electric attributed reduced supply across its network to a shortfall in the volume of electricity allocated to it from the national grid.

The distribution company said it was engaging relevant stakeholders to improve available supply and would continue to distribute the electricity received as efficiently and equitably as possible.

However, NISO said it had stabilised the national grid following multiple trippings on the 330-kilovolt transmission network.

In a statement on Monday, the system operator said the incident occurred at approximately 12:40pm on October 19, 2026.

It said corrective measures were immediately implemented in collaboration with TCN to stabilise the power system and restore normal operations.

According to NISO, restoration efforts had been completed successfully and the national grid had returned to normal operation.

The operator clarified that the incident affected only a section of the grid, dismissing unverified reports and claims suggesting otherwise.