The National Power Grid collapsed for the first time in 2026, leaving major parts of Nigeria in total blackout.
Checks by Pinnacle Daily on the Nigerian Independent System Operator Dashboard reveal that generation has dropped from a peak of 5,171.30 megawatts (MW) to 47.40MW as at 4:00 pm on Friday, January 23.
Out of about 33 generation plants connected to the national grid, only two had power – MEPP (14.20MW) and OMOKU (33.20MW).
In separate statements on Friday afternoon, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Ikeja Electric and Eko DisCo confirmed there was a grid disturbance around 12 pm, which disrupted power supply to all their areas of coverage.
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The Abuja DisCo assured customers that it is working closely with relevant stakeholders to fully restore electricity as soon as the grid is stabilised.
The Ikeja DisCo said efforts were being made in coordination with the National Control Centre to restore supply to all locations affected by the incident.
The power grid collapse affected all DisCos except Aba Power, which is not connected to the national grid.
“Kindly be informed that there was a reported system collapse at 12:40 hours, which has resulted in a loss of power supply across our network.
“We are currently working with our TCN partners as we hope for speedy restoration of the grid. We will keep you updated as soon as power restoration resumes,” Eko DisCo stated in a notice to customers on Friday.
The cause of the power grid collapse could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.
Over the years, Nigeria has continued to record cases of national grid collapse. Despite billions of naira investment in the power sector, the national grid collapsed about 105 times in 10 years (between 2014 and 2024). In 2024 alone, Nigeria suffered collapses and disturbances 12. About five major incidents of grid collapses were recorded in 2025.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in Mass Communication. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X
