Nigeria was plunged into darkness on Friday following the collapse of the national electricity grid, marking the first system failure recorded in 2026.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator showed that power generation across the country dropped to zero megawatts at about 1:00 pm, indicating a total shutdown of the grid.
The collapse triggered widespread blackouts, with electricity distribution companies forced to shut down supply to customers as a result of the system failure. Several consumers reported loss of power shortly after midday, disrupting businesses, households, and public services.
Distribution companies including Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, and Yola recorded zero power allocation.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately disclosed, though grid failures in Nigeria are often linked to inadequate generation capacity, transmission constraints, frequency instability, gas supply challenges, and technical faults within the transmission network.
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The national grid has suffered repeated collapses in recent years, raising concerns about the resilience and reliability of the country’s power infrastructure.
Despite ongoing reforms in the electricity sector and the recent unbundling that led to the establishment of the Nigerian Independent System Operator, structural weaknesses in transmission and distribution continue to pose major challenges.
In December, the national grid collapsed, leaving power supply across most of the country at near zero levels.
In September, Nigeria was thrown into darkness following another grid collapse, and in March, a similar failure plunged several parts of the country into darkness.
Grid collapses are typically followed by a gradual restoration process, with generation ramped up in phases to stabilise the system. Electricity consumers rely on alternative power sources such as generators and inverters until normal supply is restored.
Power sector stakeholders continue to call for urgent investment in transmission infrastructure and improved system management to reduce grid failures.
The federal government has attributed the frequent collapse of the national grid to the inability of electricity distribution companies to take power generated.
According to data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the grid recorded several partial or total collapses in 2024, sparking concerns about the power sector’s reliability.
