In the first instance of its kind in 2026, Nigeria's national energy grid completely collapsed on Friday, leaving portions of the nation without power. According to data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator, or NISO, electricity supply to all 11 distribution companies totally stopped by around 1 p.m., and power generation reached zero megawatts. At the time of posting this report, the Transmission Company of Nigeria had not yet released a comprehensive statement, and the cause of the collapse could not be readily ascertained.
Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, and Yola are among the impacted distribution companies that had 0% load allocation at the time of the collapse.
The tragedy occurs months after a slew of grid failures in 2025, the most recent of which happened on December 29. Despite continuous efforts to improve and broaden the nation's electricity infrastructure, these frequent malfunctions have continued.
Following the conclusion of maintenance at the Geregu National Integrated Power Project facility, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) previously announced the addition of 450 megawatts to the national grid.
NISO revealed that on November 9, 2025, it worked with the West African Power Pool Information and Coordination Centre to conduct a synchronisation test connecting Nigeria's grid with the larger West African electrical network in an additional effort to enhance system stability.