Nigeria’s national electricity grid experienced a total system collapse on Friday, causing power outages in several parts of the country. The development marked the first grid failure recorded in 2026.
Data released by the Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO, showed that electricity generation dropped to zero megawatts. Power supply to all 11 electricity distribution companies also fell completely at about 1 p.m.
The affected distribution companies were Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja and Yola. Each of the firms recorded zero load allocation at the time of the incident.
The latest collapse followed a string of similar occurrences in 2025, with the last reported breakdown taking place on December 29. The repeated disruptions have continued despite measures put in place to reinforce and expand the nation’s power infrastructure.
Earlier, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, confirmed that an extra 450 megawatts had been added to the national grid. The increase followed the completion of maintenance activities at the Geregu National Integrated Power Project plant.
In a related development, NISO disclosed that on November 9, 2025, it worked with the West African Power Pool Information and Coordination Centre to conduct a synchronisation test. The exercise aimed to connect Nigeria’s electricity grid to the wider West African power network as part of efforts to enhance system stability.
