Nigeria faces second national grid collapse in 2025

Nigeria experienced another national grid collapse on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, plunging several parts of the country into darkness. This marks the second grid failure in just six weeks, raising concerns over the state of the power sector and its impact on businesses and households.

According to data from the Nigerian System Operator (NSO) portal (niggrid.org), the collapse occurred at approximately 11:30 AM. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has yet to officially disclose the cause of the latest system failure.

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) confirmed the development, stating that the disruption affected power supply across its coverage areas. However, the company noted that efforts were already underway to gradually restore electricity and stabilize the grid.

A popular Nigerian National Grid monitoring account on X (formerly Twitter) described the situation as a “GRID DISTURBANCE”, signaling widespread outages in multiple states.

When contacted, TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah stated that she was in transit and would provide an official response later.

This latest collapse follows a similar nationwide blackout recorded on January 11, 2025, and continues a troubling pattern of grid instability.

READ ALSO: Frequent national grid failures deepen Nigeria’s energy crisis amid experts concern

According to industry reports, Nigeria experienced 12 grid collapses in 2024, highlighting deep-seated technical and structural challenges within the power sector.

Experts say these frequent collapses stem from poor infrastructure, inadequate transmission capacity, and lack of investment in grid modernization.

Dr. Samuel Adeyemi, an energy analyst and lecturer at the University of Lagos, described the situation as a reflection of Nigeria’s weak power infrastructure.

“The national grid operates as a fragile, centralized system that struggles to handle fluctuations in power generation and demand. Without urgent investment in decentralized energy solutions, Nigerians will continue to suffer from blackouts.”

The blackout has had an immediate economic impact, with businesses, industries, and households forced to rely on diesel generators—a costly alternative due to the high price of fuel.

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Mary Uche, a small business owner in Abuja, lamented the situation, saying:

“I run a cold room business, and each time the grid collapses, I have to power my generators for hours, spending thousands of naira on fuel. This is killing small businesses.”

Similarly, Lagos resident Ibrahim Yusuf shared his frustration:

“We keep hearing about power sector reforms, yet we still experience regular blackouts. How can businesses thrive under these conditions?”

Stakeholders in the power sector are calling for immediate reforms to improve grid reliability and prevent future collapses.

According to Engr. Bassey Akpan, a power systems engineer, said the government must prioritize modernizing transmission lines, upgrading substations, and investing in alternative energy sources like solar and decentralized mini-grids.

“Nigeria cannot continue to rely on an outdated grid system. We need a shift towards decentralized energy generation, where states and private investors can develop independent power projects.”

The Federal Government had previously announced plans to expand transmission capacity and attract private-sector investment into the power sector, but progress has been slow.