NISO explains Egbin Power Plant’s  collapse that triggers nationwide load shedding, deepens Lagos blackout

By Abiodun Folarin

WorldStage– The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) said the sharp drop in electricity supply on Monday night was due to the sudden collapse of the Egbin Power Plant, which fell from 641 megawatts to zero output, triggering widespread load shedding and plunging Lagos and surrounding areas into deeper outages.

NISO, in a statement on Thursday, confirmed the disruption, blaming a critical equipment failure at the Egbin Power Station, alongside a transmission outage on the Osogbo–Ikeja West 330kV line, both of which have significantly constrained electricity delivery to the nation’s commercial hub.

Egbin Power Station, the largest electricity-generating plant on the national grid and a major contributor to Nigeria’s daily power supply, experienced a major operational disturbance.

At about 8:21 p.m. on April 28, 2026, the power station recorded a complete loss of generation, dropping from approximately 641MW to zero output. The incident was attributed to a failure of the plant’s central compressor, alongside a malfunction of the circulating water pump system, which necessitated an emergency shutdown of all units.

In addition, power supply to the Lagos region is currently restricted due to the forced outage of the Osogbo–Ikeja West 330kV line, further constraining the delivery of available generation into the Lagos load centre.

Consequently, this loss of generation has created a significant supply shortfall, necessitating immediate load shedding measures to maintain grid stability and prevent a wider system disturbance.

System operators have since activated contingency measures, adjusted load allocation across distribution companies with priority given to critical infrastructure, and are optimizing available generation from other power plants to mitigate the impact.

NISO said it acknowledges the inconvenience this situation has caused electricity consumers, especially in Lagos and surrounding areas, and assured the public that all relevant stakeholders are working closely to resolve the situation as soon as possible.