Nigeria’s electricity generation dropped sharply from approximately 3,840 megawatts (MW) to 476.70MW on Monday, disrupting power supply in parts of the country and raising fresh concerns about the stability of the national electricity system.

Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator’s (NISO) online dashboard showed that grid generation stood at about 3,840MW at 7 am before falling significantly around 12:40 pm. By 1 pm, total output had declined to 476.70MW.

The decline of more than 3,300MW left most power plants reporting no electricity generation on the grid. Only a few stations, including Odukpani National Integrated Power Project, Omotosho and Sapele, were contributing limited output at the time.

Major generating stations such as Egbin, Jebba, Shiroro and Kainji, alongside several gas-fired plants, recorded zero generation in the 1 pm figures.

The sharp reduction coincided with reports of electricity interruptions, as consumers complained about power outages between approximately 12:45 pm and 1:20 pm. A subsequent dashboard reading at 1:23 pm put generation at about 480MW, with only five generating companies recording output.

The incident adds to recurring concerns over electricity supply reliability and grid disturbances in Nigeria. The Federal Government has recently approved plans to develop eastern and western power grids as part of efforts to improve system stability and reduce the impact of failures affecting the national network.

Despite the substantial drop in generation, NISO dismissed claims that the national grid had collapsed.

A senior official of the system operator said there was no system-wide disturbance at the time, suggesting that the outages reported by consumers could have resulted from local faults.

The official explained that local equipment tripping and other temporary interruptions did not necessarily indicate a national grid collapse, adding that the operator had directed its technical team to conduct an immediate system check to identify any abnormalities.

The sharp fall in available generation nevertheless highlights the vulnerability of electricity supply to sudden changes in grid output, with implications for households, businesses and industrial users that depend on reliable power.