Why national grid collapsed – TCN

 

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said the collapse of the national grid on Thursday morning was caused by a sudden rise in frequency from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.

 

The TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

 

Nigeria’s electricity grid is suffering another collapse on Wednesday, marking the first such incident of the year.

 

Data from the Independent System Operator (ISO) indicated that power generation plunged from 2,917.83 megawatts (MW) to just 1.5 MW between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.

 

Confirming the incident in a post on Twitter, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) announced a loss of supply from the grid.

 

Please be informed that the power outage currently being experienced is due to a loss of supply from the national grid at 11:23 am today, affecting electricity supply across our franchise areas,” AEDC said.

 

“Rest assured, we are working closely with the relevant shareholders to ensure power is restored once the grid is stabilized. Thank you for your patience and understanding,” the company added.

 

Earlier in the year, on February 12, several parts of the country experienced a blackout after the grid went down — a development confirmed by power distribution firms.

 

That same day, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) rejected reports alleging that the grid had collapsed twice in 2025. Similarly, in January, the company also dismissed claims of a shutdown.

 

On July 4, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) reported there had been no grid collapse in the first quarter of the year, though it urged the system operator to enhance coordination of its operations.

 

The country’s fragile power grid has faced repeated failures. In 2024 alone, there were 11 recorded nationwide collapses, causing widespread blackouts.

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