A prolonged blackout may be imminent in Lagos State following the sudden shutdown of the Egbin Power Station and a simultaneous transmission line outage, the Nigerian Independent System Operator has said.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the system operator disclosed that the country’s largest power plant suffered a major operational disturbance, resulting in a complete loss of generation and worsening electricity supply in Nigeria’s commercial hub.
“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.
“At approximately 8:21 p.m. on April 28, 2026, Egbin Power Station recorded a total loss of generation, dropping from about 641MW to zero output.”
The operator attributed the shutdown to critical equipment failure within the facility.
“This incident was caused by the failure of the plant’s central compressor, in addition to a malfunction of the circulating water pump system, which necessitated an immediate shutdown of all generating units to safeguard the facility,” it added.
The disruption has been compounded by a transmission constraint affecting power delivery into Lagos.
“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,” the statement noted.
According to the operator, the dual setback has created a significant supply gap, forcing authorities to ration electricity to prevent a wider grid collapse.
“Consequently, this loss of generation has created a significant supply shortfall, necessitating immediate load-shedding measures to maintain grid stability,” it said.
Emergency measures have since been activated, including redistributing available electricity across distribution companies and prioritising critical infrastructure, while efforts are ongoing to ramp up output from other power plants.
The operator apologised to consumers, particularly in Lagos and surrounding areas, where outages have become more pronounced.
“We acknowledge the inconvenience this situation has caused electricity consumers… and we assure the public that all relevant stakeholders are working closely to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,” it added.
The incident has also sparked unconfirmed reports of a fatality involving a contractor at the plant, although officials have yet to provide details.
Located in Ikorodu, the Egbin Power Station is the largest thermal power plant on Nigeria’s national grid, with an installed capacity exceeding 1,300MW. Its central role means any major outage has immediate consequences for electricity supply, especially in Lagos, which accounts for a large share of national demand.
The latest disruption underscores the fragility of Nigeria’s power infrastructure, where failures in key generation or transmission assets can trigger widespread outages, highlighting the need for sustained investment in grid resilience and maintenance.