Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed for a second time in five days, leaving the country in widespread darkness and renewing concerns about the stability of the nation’s power infrastructure. The latest outage occurred Tuesday morning when load allocation to all 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) fell to zero megawatts, according to data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).
The collapse follows a similar nationwide blackout on January 23, 2026, when the grid last failed in a system-wide disruption. Both incidents have affected homes, businesses and public services in major cities, including Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna and others.
Preliminary reports from grid operators indicate that the collapse resulted from significant technical disturbances on high-voltage transmission lines and the disconnection of multiple generating units, which collectively triggered the total system failure. As of late Tuesday morning of January, efforts were underway to restore supply, but many DisCos remained without allocation.
The repeated failures highlight ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s power sector, where inadequate maintenance, infrastructure bottlenecks and fluctuations in generation capacity have long been issues. The situation has reignited public debate about the need for substantial reforms, investment in grid resilience and improved generation capacity to ensure reliable electricity supply.
This latest blackout underscores the fragility of Nigeria’s electricity system early in 2026, just weeks after the country experienced multiple grid collapses in late 2025. Analysts say persistent outages could have far-reaching effects on economic activity and routine life if solutions are not urgently implemented.
