Nigeria’s electricity generation plunged from about 3,840 megawatts (MW) at 7am to 476.70MW by 1pm on Monday, triggering power outages in parts of the country.

Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator’s (NISO) portal, niggrid.org, showed a sharp decline in electricity generation within six hours.

Generation remained relatively stable during the morning hours before dropping suddenly around 12:40pm, with most power plants recording zero output on the grid.

Only a few generating stations, including Odukpani NIPP, Omotosho and Sapele, were contributing electricity as of the 1pm reading.

Major power plants, including Egbin, Jebba, Shiroro and Kainji, alongside several gas-fired facilities, recorded zero generation on the grid.

The sharp decline coincided with reports of power outages, as electricity consumers took to social media to complain about interruptions between 12:45pm and 1:20pm.

As of 1:23pm, the NISO dashboard showed real-time generation at approximately 480MW, with only five generating companies recording electricity output.

The figures represented a decline of more than 3,300MW from the level recorded at 7am, raising concerns about the stability of Nigeria’s national electricity system.

The development comes amid recurring grid disturbances and collapses that have affected the country’s electricity sector, raising concerns about the reliability of power supply to households and businesses.

The Federal Government recently approved plans to develop new eastern and western power grids as part of efforts to address recurring grid failures and improve electricity system stability.

However, NISO dismissed claims of a national grid collapse, insisting that there had been no system-wide disturbance despite the sharp decline in generation.

A senior NISO official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the reported outages could have resulted from localised problems.

“There is no disturbance at the moment. Probably if something is happening, maybe it is a local issue, but there is nothing on the grid,” the official said.

The official explained that temporary outages or minor tripping in certain areas did not necessarily indicate a national grid collapse.

“Some of these things are tripping or other minor issues that, within minutes, you just see that it is fixed,” he said.

The official added that NISO had directed its team to conduct a system check to identify any anomalies.