National Grid Collapses Again, Plunging Major Nigerian Cities into Darkness—Days After FG’s ‘Historic’ Power Generation Boast

In yet another blow to Nigeria’s fragile power sector, the national electricity grid suffered a major collapse on Friday, leaving several cities—including Lagos—in total blackout.

The collapse comes just days after the federal government boasted about a “historic rise” in power generation to 6,000MW, raising fresh concerns over the reliability of the country’s electricity infrastructure.

Before the grid failure, power generation had peaked at 5,284MW at 5 AM but dramatically plummeted to below 1,000MW by 2 PM, and by 4 PM, the available supply stood at a meager 803MW. The sharp decline left millions of homes and businesses without electricity, disrupting economic activities nationwide.

Power Companies Confirm Widespread Outage

Confirming the system failure, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) informed customers of the disruption, stating:

“Dear esteemed customer, please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, 07/03/2025, at 14:00 hrs, affecting supply within our network. Restoration is ongoing in collaboration with critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us.”

Similarly, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) acknowledged the blackout, issuing an apology:

“Dear valued customer, please be informed that a system disruption occurred on March 7, 2025, at 13:59 hrs, leading to a widespread power outage across our network. We are actively working with our partners to ensure a swift restoration of the grid. Updates will be provided as soon as power is restored. We appreciate your patience.”

The latest collapse adds to a long history of frequent grid failures that continue to undermine industrial growth, cripple businesses, and frustrate millions of Nigerians. Despite repeated assurances and billions of naira invested in the power sector, the nation’s electricity supply remains highly unstable.

As authorities scramble to restore power, the latest grid failure raises pressing questions: How long will Nigerians endure this cycle of blackouts, and when will lasting solutions be implemented?