A nationwide blackout is imminent as Nigeria power generation has fallen below the 3,000 megawatts mark.

Sadly, number of idle power plants increased to eight on Sunday from five on Friday.

Reports say the nation’s power grid lost a total of 743.4MW over the weekend as generation dropped from 3,306.6MW on Friday to 2,632.4MW and 2,563.2MW on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

It was gathered that a total generation stood at 2,886.7MW as of 6am on Monday, with seven power plants, including Sapele II and Alaoji II not generating any megawatt.

Other idle plants on Monday were Afam IV & V, Gbarain II, AES, ASCO and Rivers IPP, according to the latest data from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

Electricity generation from the nation’s biggest power station, Egbin, located in Lagos, dropped to 272MW as of 6am on Monday from 381MW and 312MW and on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

At Afam IV & V, units GT1 to 12 have been de-commissioned and scrapped; GT13 to 16 are out on blade failure; GT17 and 18 out due to burnt generator transformer; and GT19 and 20 are awaiting major overhaul.

Sapele II’s GT1 unit was said to be out on undisclosed fault; GT2 tripped on low gas pressure; GT3 out on bearing lift pump trouble; and GT4 tripped on loss of auxiliary.

Units GT1, 2 and 4 of Alaoji were said to be out due to gas constraints, while GT3 was shut down due to generator air inlet filter trouble.

Gbarain II’s GT2 was said to be out for frequency management, while AES has been out of production since September 27, 2014.