A major power disruption has hit Lagos State following the shutdown of the Egbin Power Plc and a simultaneous transmission line fault, according to the Nigerian Independent System Operator.

The system operator said the incident caused a sharp drop in electricity generation, worsening an already constrained supply situation in the Lagos electricity network.

The outage reportedly began when the plant’s output fell from about 641 megawatts to zero due to a technical failure involving key equipment within the station.

According to the operator, the shutdown was triggered by a malfunction in critical systems, including a central compressor and circulating water pump, which forced an immediate shutdown of all generating units to prevent further damage.

The disruption was further compounded by a fault on the Osogbo–Ikeja West 330kV transmission line, a key infrastructure used to evacuate power into Lagos, effectively limiting electricity delivery to the region.

The combined failure has created a significant supply gap, forcing load shedding across parts of Lagos and neighbouring areas to maintain grid stability.

The operator said emergency measures had been activated, including the redistribution of available power to distribution companies and the prioritisation of critical infrastructure.

Efforts are also ongoing to restore generation and stabilise transmission systems to reduce the impact on consumers.

The agency apologised for the widespread blackout, noting that stakeholders are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Egbin Power Plc remains Nigeria’s largest thermal power plant, and any major outage at the facility typically has an immediate nationwide impact due to its role in the national grid.