Nigeria’s electricity sector recorded more than 25 incidents of national grid collapse and major system disturbances between August 2023 and January 2026, during the tenure of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
Adelabu was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on August 16, 2023, and recently resigned his ministerial position to pursue the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.
Industry data indicated that grid instability persisted shortly after his appointment. Between August and December 2023, three major grid failures were recorded.
The September 14 collapse was reportedly linked to a fire outbreak on a key transmission line, followed by another system failure on September 19.
The year ended with a December 11 collapse attributed to vandalism on the Gwagwalada–Kukwaba–Apo 132kV transmission line.
In 2024, the situation reportedly worsened, with between 10 and 12 grid disturbances recorded during the year. Major incidents were reported on February 4, March 28, April 15, July 16, and August 5, among other dates.
October 2024 witnessed multiple disruptions, including a full collapse on October 14, a partial collapse on October 15, and additional disturbances on October 19. Another setback was also reported in early November.
In 2025, at least one major collapse was recorded on February 12, alongside other disturbances later in the year.
By January 2026, fresh incidents were recorded on January 23 and January 27.
While Adelabu had previously stated that not all reported incidents amounted to full national grid collapses, he publicly apologised to Nigerians over recurring blackouts and persistent power outages experienced across the country.
