Nigeria’s national electricity grid suffered a major collapse on Friday, plunging the entire country into darkness after power generation dropped to zero.
According to system data, the outage occurred on January 23, 2026, when electricity output fell completely off the grid, marking the first nationwide blackout of the year.
Records from the Nigerian Independent System Operator show that power supply to all distribution companies was cut by around 1:00 p.m.
The outage affected all 11 electricity distribution companies — Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja and Yola — leaving households, offices and businesses across the country without power.
Friday’s incident adds to a growing list of grid failures recorded over the past year. Nigeria experienced several similar collapses in 2025, with the most recent occurring on December 29, highlighting persistent weaknesses in the country’s power infrastructure.
The latest breakdown comes despite recent efforts to stabilise the system. The Niger Delta Power Holding Company had earlier announced the restoration of about 450 megawatts to the national grid following maintenance at the Geregu National Integration Power Project. The additional capacity was expected to strengthen the grid and reduce disruptions.
In November 2025, the system operator also collaborated with the West African Power Pool Information and Coordination Centre to test Nigeria’s connection to the regional electricity network, a move aimed at improving grid resilience.
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However, the return of another nationwide blackout has once again raised concerns over the reliability of electricity supply in Africa’s largest economy, underscoring ongoing challenges in sustaining stable power generation and distribution.
