By Abiola Olawale
For the first time in 2025, the national grid on Wednesday experienced a collapse, leaving millions in darkness and disrupting essential services across Nigeria, Afruca’s most populous nation.
It was gathered that the grid lost power generation some minutes after 11 on Wednesday morning.
This is about the first time the grid will collapse in 2025 after it experienced a line tripping in January.
Confirming the development, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, on its official X handle, stated: “Dear Valued Customer, We regret to inform you that a system disturbance occurred on the national grid at 11:34 am today, causing a power outage across our franchise areas.
“While gradual restoration of power supply has commenced, please be assured that we are working closely with relevant stakeholders to fully restore electricity as soon as the grid is stabilised. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to serve you better.”
The New Diplomat reports that Nigeria has been grappling with recurring national grid collapses, a persistent issue that has left millions of citizens without electricity, plunging the country into darkness.
The national grid experienced a troubling pattern of instability with 12 reported collapses in 2024 alone. The ministervof Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu who seems apparently unable to fix the recurring mess, is believed to be looking in the direction of contesting the governorship of Oyo state. If this is correct, it leaves the power ministry with a heads-up that has divided attention!
The immediate impact of such collapses is negatively profound as businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), are forced to shut down or rely on expensive diesel generators, leading to lost productivity and revenue.
Hospitals, which depend on electricity for critical care, face life-threatening challenges, with patients on life support or requiring urgent medical procedures at risk.
Also, households are left without basic amenities, such as lighting, refrigeration, and communication, exacerbating the daily struggles of millions of Nigerians.
