Nigeria’s national power grid collapsed on Friday, plunging much of the country into darkness in the first total outage recorded in 2026.
Gatekeepers News reports that the collapse occurred around midday, when data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed electricity generation dropped sharply to zero megawatts, leaving all 11 distribution companies without supply by about 1:00 pm.
Officials with Transmission Company of Nigeria, which operates the grid, have not yet provided a detailed explanation for the outage and, as of the time of reporting, had not provided a timeline for full restoration.
Engineers were reported to be working to stabilise the system and gradually bring generation and transmission back online.
The collapse follows several similar failures last year, including a widespread blackout on December 29, 2025, and other partial disturbances that highlighted ongoing challenges with Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
Despite efforts to improve stability, such as additional generation capacity added by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company and synchronisation tests with the West African power network, the system remains fragile and prone to breakdowns.
The outage affected major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Benin, and Kano, leaving homes, businesses, and institutions without electricity.
