The Nigerian Revenue Service has secured approval to generate its own electricity, joining a growing list of institutions stepping away from the national grid due to persistent outages.
According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the agency got a permit to run a 6.08 megawatt power plant at its Abuja headquarters, part of a wider trend where companies and government bodies are setting up their own power systems.
This is not happening in isolation. From manufacturers to estates and even government offices, more users are choosing to generate their own electricity rather than depend on the grid. The move by a revenue agency only makes it more obvious how deep the problem has become.
What stands out is the shift in mindset. This is no longer about backup power for emergencies. It is becoming the main plan. Once organisations invest in their own power, they are less likely to return to the grid.
That creates another problem. The grid depends on large users for revenue. When they leave, the system becomes weaker, with less money to maintain infrastructure or improve supply. It turns into a cycle where poor service pushes users out, and their exit makes the service even worse.
There is also a quiet divide forming. Those who can afford to generate their own power are finding ways around the problem, while everyone else remains tied to an unstable system.
What this shows is that the electricity issue is no longer just about generation numbers or policy announcements. Confidence in the grid is fading, and once that trust goes, fixing the system becomes a lot harder than just adding more megawatts.
