Electricity supply across Lagos State is facing severe disruption following a major shutdown at the Egbin Power Station and a simultaneous fault on a critical transmission line, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has confirmed.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the operator warned that the twin incidents could result in prolonged power shortages in Nigeria’s largest electricity consumption hub, as generation and transmission constraints continue to destabilise supply to the region.
According to NISO, the crisis began on the night of April 28, 2026, when the Egbin Power Station—the country’s largest power generating plant—suffered a major technical failure that forced a total shutdown of operations.
The station’s output reportedly collapsed from about 641 megawatts to zero within minutes, significantly affecting grid stability.
“The Nigerian Independent System Operator wishes to inform the general public of a significant reduction in power generation currently affecting electricity supply across the country, particularly within the Lagos region,” the statement said.
It explained that the incident was caused by a failure in the plant’s central compressor system, alongside a malfunction in its circulating water pump system, which necessitated an emergency shutdown of all generating units to prevent further damage.
“The disruption has also sparked unconfirmed reports of a fatal incident involving a contractor, although officials have yet to verify the claim or provide further details,” the operator added.
The power shortage was further aggravated by a separate fault on the Osogbo–Ikeja West 330kV transmission line, a key electricity evacuation route feeding Lagos.
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The operator said the transmission failure has significantly restricted the ability to wheel available power into Lagos load centres, deepening supply shortages across the state.
“Power supply to the Lagos region is currently further restricted due to the forced outage of the Osogbo–Ikeja West 330kV transmission line, thereby limiting the evacuation of available generation into the Lagos load centre,” NISO stated.
With both generation and transmission networks affected, system operators have introduced emergency load-shedding measures to stabilise the national grid and prevent a broader system collapse.
“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,” the statement added.
Authorities have begun redistributing available power across distribution companies, with priority given to hospitals, security installations, and other critical infrastructure.
Efforts are also underway to ramp up output from other generation plants to cushion the impact on consumers.
“System operators have deployed contingency measures, including reallocation of available load across distribution companies, with priority given to critical national infrastructure,” NISO said. “We are also optimising generation from other power plants to mitigate the impact.”
The operator apologised to affected customers, particularly residents of Lagos and surrounding areas where outages have been most severe.
“We acknowledge the inconvenience this situation has caused electricity consumers, especially within Lagos and surrounding areas, and we assure the public that all relevant stakeholders are working closely to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,” it said.
Located in Ikorodu, Lagos, Egbin Power Station is the largest thermal power plant connected to Nigeria’s national grid, with an installed capacity exceeding 1,300 megawatts. It plays a critical role in stabilising electricity supply in the southwestern region and across the national grid.
Energy experts say simultaneous failures at a major generation facility and a key transmission corridor highlight ongoing vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s power infrastructure, raising concerns about system resilience and maintenance standards.