Nigeria’s National Grid Collapses for the First time in 2026
Nigeria’s national electricity grid suffered a total collapse on Friday, throwing many parts of the country into darkness. The Nigeria national grid collapse is the first recorded incident of its kind in 2026 and has affected the electricity supply across several states.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator showed that power generation dropped to zero megawatts around 1 pm. Electricity supply to all 11 distribution companies also fell completely during the national grid collapse.
The affected distribution companies include Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, and Yola. All the firms recorded zero load allocation at the time of the national grid collapse.
The latest incident comes months after a series of grid failures recorded in 2025. The most recent of those breakdowns occurred on December 29, raising concerns about the stability of the power sector amid recurring national grid collapse cases.
These repeated disruptions have continued despite ongoing efforts to strengthen and expand the country’s electricity infrastructure. Stakeholders have repeatedly called for long-term solutions to prevent another national grid collapse.
Earlier, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company announced the restoration of an additional 450 megawatts to the grid after completing maintenance work at the Geregu National Integrated Power Project plant. The move was expected to boost supply before the latest collapse.
In a related development, the Nigerian Independent System Operator disclosed that on November 9, 2025, it collaborated with the West African Power Pool Information and Coordination Centre. The exercise involved a synchronization test linking Nigeria’s grid with the wider West African electricity network to improve system stability.
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