Lagos and Ogun states, Nigeria’s economic powerhouses, are bracing for a 25-day power outage that could disrupt business operations, starting July 28, 2025.
The outage, announced by Ikeja Electric and Eko Electricity Distribution Company was hinged on scheduled maintenance by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on the Omotosho–Ikeja West 330kV transmission line.
Eko DisCo said the outage would cover working hours from 8 am to 5 pm daily from July 28 to August 21, 2025.
“The outage will occur between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day, affecting several parts of Lagos and other serviced areas,” Eko DisCo stated.
Also, Ikeja Electric, covering most parts of Lagos State, announced the blackout.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this 25-day power outage could cause business owners, banks, and manufacturers to lose hundreds of billions of naira.
It could also cripple operations in Nigeria’s commercial nerve center.
Lagos, contributing 26.7% to Nigeria’s GDP and over 50% of non-oil GDP, is expected to be the hardest hit, with its 2023 GDP valued at $259.75 billion (PPP) and a local economy of N27.38 trillion in H1 2024.
The 25-day power outage is expected to affect the service sector, financial hubs, and industrial estates that drive economic activity.
Lagos accounts for over 80% of Nigeria’s foreign trade flows and 50% of port revenues, with 29 industrial estates and four central business districts.
The state’s food economy alone is valued at N16.14 trillion, consuming over 50% of Southwest Nigeria’s food trade.
The outage also threatens sectors like manufacturing, which grew by 2.92% in Q4 2024, and services, which expanded by 9.33% year-on-year, as businesses may rely on costly diesel generators and fuel prices.
Reacting to the development, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, who spoke with the press said the cost implication of the blackout will be enormous for business owners, residents, and the Nigerian economy at large.
According to him, the outage would result in significant pressure on energy costs for businesses and manufacturers, which would impact productivity.
He said: “The cost of the proposal to shut down the supply to the grid for maintenance will be enormous. The implication is that businesses that rely on the grid for supply will now have to shift to alternative sources of power. So we are likely to see significant pressure on energy costs for businesses in this period.
“Some businesses cannot afford to shut down; they have to operate 24 hours. We are talking about hotels, hospitals, supermarkets, and some manufacturers. They have to operate 24 hours, and this requires power. Generally, even with the complaint of high tariffs, using the power sources from the grid is cheaper than alternative sources of power like diesel or gas.
“This has a potentially huge cost implication for businesses, which will impact their bottom line. We are talking about close to a month. This will affect productivity because some businesses will have to operate for shorter hours due to the cost of energy.
“It has implications for the economy in the Lagos area. Don’t forget Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of the country. It consumes a substantial part of the power generation from the grid.
“The cost will run into hundreds of billions of Naira.”
