Abduljelil IssaNigeria’s national grid has collapsed for the first time in 2026, plunging the country into widespread darkness.
Data obtained from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that electricity generation fell to zero megawatts (MW).
The NISO figures indicated that load allocation to the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) dropped to zero MW as of 1 pm on Friday, January 26, 2026.
The affected distribution companies include Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, and Yola, all of which recorded zero power allocation.
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In 2025, the national power grid suffered several collapses, with the most recent incident occurring on December 29.
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) had earlier announced the restoration of an additional 450 MW to the national grid after completing scheduled maintenance at the Geregu National Integration Power Project (NIPP) plant.
On November 9, 2025, NISO disclosed that it collaborated with the West African Power Pool Information and Coordination Centre (WAPP-ICC) to carry out a synchronisation test linking Nigeria’s grid with the broader West African power network.