NISO Blames Egbin Power Collapse For Lagos Blackout

From Rotimi Asher, Lagos

 Nigerian Independent System Operator ,NISO, has attributed the recent drop in electricity supply affecting Lagos and surrounding areas to a major generation failure at the Egbin Power Station, which it says triggered widespread load shedding to stabilise the national grid.

In a statement issued in Abuja, NISO said the incident occurred on April 28, 2026, when Egbin Power Station, the country’s largest generation plant, suffered a sudden operational failure that forced its output to collapse from about 641 megawatts to zero.

At about 8:21PM on the day, the system operator said the plant experienced a complete shutdown following a failure of its central compressor and a malfunction in its circulating water pump system, which led to an emergency shutdown of all generating units.

“NISO 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 operator said.

The agency explained that the situation was further worsened by a transmission fault on the Osogbo–Ikeja West 330kV line, which limited the ability to transmit available electricity into Lagos, one of the country’s highest demand centres.

It said the combined impact of the generation loss and transmission constraint created a major supply gap, forcing the operator to introduce controlled load shedding to prevent a wider collapse of the national grid.

“At about 8:21pm 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,” NISO stated.

Recall that the Egbin Power Station in Ikorodu recorded a total loss of generation at approximately 8:21 PM, on April 28, 2026, causing a drop from 641MW to zero output. 

This shutdown, combined with a simultaneous transmission fault, has triggered widespread load-shedding and an extended power outage across Lagos.

The shutdown was necessitated by the failure of the plant’s central compressor and a malfunction in the circulating water pump system.

The outage is worsened by a fault on the Osogbo–Ikeja West 330kV transmission line, which has restricted the evacuation of any remaining available power into the Lagos load center.

The Nigerian Independent System Operator ,NISO, warned that the loss of 641MW—a significant portion of the national grid—may lead to a prolonged blackout in the region.

Emergency measures, including load reallocation across distribution companies, have been deployed to maintain grid stability. 

While restoration has begun in some areas, residents in Lagos and surrounding areas are advised to expect continued instability.

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