Nigeria restores power to six states after transmission line vandalism

Nigeria's central authorities confirmed that electrical service has been reinstated in multiple regions spanning six states and the Federal Capital Territory. This development follows significant disruptions to the national power grid caused by the vandalism of critical transmission infrastructure. The Ministry of Power confirmed on Monday, November 9, 2026, that power has been returned to many communities that had previously experienced outages.

Joseph Tegbe, the Power Minister, shared this development on social platforms, noting that the compromised Benin-Egbin 330-kilovolt transmission infrastructure had been fixed and reactivated. Tegbe explained that this maintenance work was crucial in boosting power delivery to the Lagos Complex to a level exceeding 1,000 megawatts. This figure represents a return to the levels recorded before the recent disruption occurred.

Tegbe specified that electricity had been restored to affected communities in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Kwara states, as well as the FCT. While the majority of the affected areas have regained power, the minister noted that government teams are continuing their efforts to reconnect the remaining locations that are still without supply. The restoration aims to normalise the power situation in these regions, which had suffered from reduced availability due to the combined effects of maintenance works and infrastructure damage.

Background

The recent power crisis was attributed to a combination of factors, including planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Station and inadequate gas supply to several thermal power plants. In a statement issued on the previous Friday, Minister Tegbe acknowledged the hardship these outages caused for households and businesses, particularly in Lagos and the FCT. The reduction in generation capacity forced grid operators to implement load shedding in various areas to maintain stability.

Compounding the issue was the vandalism of key transmission lines, which restricted the use of alternative routes for delivering electricity, especially to Lagos. In earlier remarks, the minister had pledged a phased restart of the impacted power plants, predicting the initial batch would be operational between 48 and 72 hours after the first notice. The vandalism of the Benin-Egbin line was a significant factor in the prolonged disruption, as it hindered the ability to transmit power effectively across the grid.

Why it matters

The restoration of power to the Lagos Complex and the surrounding states is significant for both residential consumers and commercial entities that rely on a stable electricity supply. The return of over 1,000 megawatts to the Lagos Complex helps to alleviate the strain on the grid that had been exacerbated by the earlier outages. The Power Ministry indicated it is working alongside power producers, the grid operator, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, and local distribution firms to stop any further decline in energy availability. This coordinated effort is intended to improve electricity availability and sustain the supply levels achieved following the repairs.

Additionally, the minister pointed to current work being done to bring back the Osogbo-Ikeja West 330kV transmission corridor. This specific route has remained offline for roughly 18 months following vandalism that damaged approximately six towers situated in a wetland zone. The restoration of this line is expected to deliver an additional 400 megawatts to Lagos, further strengthening the power supply to the region.

What happens next

The government is currently working to restore the Osogbo-Ikeja West 330kV line, which remains out of service. Once fully operational, this line is projected to add 400 megawatts to the Lagos power supply. Meanwhile, teams from the Ministry of Power and its partners are focused on completing the reconnection of the remaining affected locations to ensure full restoration of electricity supply across the six states and the FCT. The collaboration between various power sector operators will continue to address any residual issues and maintain the stability of the national grid.