GridWatch Combo Nigeria

Keeping the Lights On

A guide to using DiscoWatchNG (and its sister, GencoWatchNG)

Hey everyone! If you live in Nigeria, you know that one of the most common questions we ask ourselves daily is, "Do we have light today?" Or more specifically, "How much power is actually allocated to my Disco right now?"

Trying to find this information usually means scrolling through endless tweets or waiting for your Disco to post a schedule. But what if you could see the data instantly, in one place?

I recently came across a fantastic tool called DiscoWatchNG – it does exactly that. It is a clean, light‑themed dashboard that shows you the power allocation to all the Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) in Nigeria. If you want to stop guessing and start knowing, here is a friendly guide on how to use the website.

First stop: the dashboard

DiscoWatchNG – morning snapshot, light‑theme interface

Head over to DiscoWatchNG. When the page loads, you are greeted by a clean, easy‑on‑the‑eyes dashboard. It looks technical, but don't worry, it’s very user‑friendly.

The main hero of the page is a big bar chart. This chart is the heart of the operation.

Step 1: Understanding the big picture (the chart)

The bar chart displays all 11 Discos across Nigeria. You’ll recognise the usual suspects:

• Ikeja Electric
• Eko Electric
• Abuja Electric (AEDC)
• Kano Electric
• Port Harcourt Electric
• ...and all the others.

Each bar represents a Disco. The height of the bar and the number at the top represent the allocated power (measured in megawatts).

How to read it:

• The higher the bar, the more power that region is getting right now.
• If you see a bar that is very short, that region is currently getting a low allocation from the national grid.

Step 2: Check your specific Disco (the table)

While the chart is great for visuals, we all care about our specific location. Scroll down just a little bit, and you’ll find a data table.

This table lays out all the information in simple text format. It usually includes:

• Name of Disco: so you can find your zone.
• Allocation (MW): the exact amount of power allocated.

💡 Pro tip: On mobile, you might need to swipe left/right to see all columns, but the "Allocation" figure is always next to the Disco name.

Step 3: The "snapshot" approach (morning & evening logs)

It is important to understand how this data is collected. We manually log the grid status twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening.

This gives us a 12‑hour snapshot of the grid. While a lot can happen within that time frame, these two checkpoints provide a consistent and reliable trend line to see how your Disco is performing.

Step 4: Reading between the lines (the 0MW context)

When using the site, you might occasionally see a Disco showing 0MW allocation. It’s important to understand what this means (and doesn’t mean).

Officially, entities like the NISO (National Independent System Operator) may not immediately recognise 0MW assignments to Discos as a grid failure. In the electricity ecosystem, a few hours of 0MW could be attributed to many things: scheduled maintenance, frequency management, or a temporary load restriction.

However, this is where DiscoWatchNG becomes a useful public tool. Prolonged 0MW or persistently low MW values are often the earliest signals to the public that something is wrong. They unofficially signal that the grid is under stress or has potentially collapsed.

📌 Please note: We can only show you the data and deduce these trends. Always verify with official authorities upstream, midstream, and downstream on the grid for their official announcements and explanations.

Step 5: Download the data (for reference)

One‑click download — perfect for researchers & record‑keepers

Are you a researcher, a journalist, or just someone who likes to keep records? You don't have to take screenshots. DiscoWatchNG includes a handy feature to download the table. You can export the data for the day, which is perfect if you need references for reports, complaints, or to track your Disco’s performance over time.

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🔌 Beyond distribution: meet GencoWatchNG

Now that you know how much power is allocated to your Disco, the next question is: where does that power come from? Generation is the first step of the value chain, and it's just as important to monitor.

That’s why we built GencoWatchNG — the sister tool that lives at the same base URL. It gives you a live look at Nigeria’s generating companies (Gencos). You’ll see:

• Which plants are actually sending power to the grid
• Their current output in megawatts
• Underperforming stations vs. those carrying the load

If DiscoWatchNG tells you how much your region gets, GencoWatchNG tells you why — by showing what the Gencos are doing (or not doing). Together they give a complete picture: from generation to distribution.

⚡ Visit DiscoWatchNG 🏭 Check GencoWatchNG

Both tools use the same clean, light‑theme design — no sign‑ups, no distractions.

The verdict

DiscoWatchNG isn't an app you need to download, and it doesn't ask for your email or any personal data. It’s a straightforward, public‑service website.

It turns a complex grid system into a simple bar chart that anyone can understand. So, bookmark the page or keep the link handy. The next time the lights go out, you can check if it's just your neighbourhood, or if your entire Disco is facing a low allocation day.

And while you're at it, keep an eye on GencoWatchNG to see which power stations are pulling their weight. A transparent grid starts with informed citizens.

⚡ DiscoWatchNG 🏭 GencoWatchNG

⏲️ morning & evening snapshots • data for awareness • always verify with official sources