The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, announced on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from the Ministry of Power headquarters in Abuja, that government technical teams and private energy operators are working around the clock to progressively restore stability to the national grid.
​Addressing the root causes of the widespread blackouts currently impacting households and business hubs across four states and the nation’s capital, Tegbe explained that a combination of three major technical and operational challenges led to the sudden deficit in national electricity output.
​First, scheduled routine maintenance at the Egbin Power Station in Lagos State temporarily removed critical generating units from the grid to preserve overall plant integrity. Second, thermal power stations nationwide have experienced persistent gas feedstock supply constraints, compounding generation shortfalls alongside seasonal drops in hydro capacity.
Finally, acts of vandalism and sabotage targeting high-capacity transmission corridors severely restricted grid operators from re-routing available power through alternative high-voltage lines into primary consumption centers like Lagos.
​To maintain broader system equilibrium and avert a total system collapse, grid management authorities were forced to initiate structured load-shedding regimes across the impacted regions.
​Outlining the government’s recovery plan, Tegbe confirmed that technical crews are expediting repairs to the damaged transmission corridors, while gas producers and Distribution Companies are working in tandem to prioritize fuel delivery to key thermal stations over the weekend.
​”My team and I are working to return the affected generating units to service in phases, with the first units coming back online within the next 48 to 72 hours,” Minister Tegbe said.
“We are also working with operators to improve gas supply and accelerate repairs to the damaged infrastructure. I thank everyone affected for their patience and will provide further updates as supply is gradually restored.”
​The Ministry of Power pledged to issue continuous operational updates through early next week as generating units are systematically brought back online.
