Juliet Jacob 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s electricity grid collapses again on Tuesday morning, plunging homes and businesses nationwide into darkness for the second time in less than a week.
Operational data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) shows power supply to all 11 distribution companies drops to zero megawatts by 11:00 a.m., while generation plunges to just 39 megawatts.
Confirming the incident, NISO attributes the collapse to widespread technical disturbances on the transmission network.
“Preliminary reports indicate the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines, alongside the sudden loss of some generating units,” the operator says in a statement.
The combined failures overwhelm the system, triggering a total grid collapse, NISO explains.
The latest outage comes only four days after a similar nationwide blackout on January 23, marking Nigeria’s first grid failure of 2026 and deepening concerns over the resilience of the country’s power infrastructure.
Energy experts warn that repeated collapses reflect chronic underinvestment in transmission infrastructure, weak maintenance culture and rising system stress from ageing assets. Businesses already grappling with high operating costs now face renewed dependence on generators, pushing fuel expenses higher.
Nigeria recorded several grid failures in 2025, with the last occurring on December 29. Tuesday’s collapse reinforces fears that systemic vulnerabilities remain unresolved despite ongoing power-sector reforms.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwatobi Adu 