Power Grid Collapses Again, Second Nationwide Outage In 2026

Nigeria’s Power Grid Fails Again, Second Collapse Recorded in 2026

NIGERIA’S already fragile power sector suffered another setback on Tuesday as the national electricity grid collapsed for the second time in 2026, triggering a nationwide blackout.

Real-time data from the grid showed that power generation fell to zero megawatts, leaving all 11 electricity distribution companies without electricity to distribute to consumers.

Power Generation Crashes to Zero

Before the collapse, electricity generation was reportedly above 4,500 megawatts. However, by around 11:00 a.m., output from all 23 grid-connected generation companies had dropped to zero, signalling a complete system failure.

The incident comes just days after the grid experienced its first collapse of the year last Friday, heightening concerns over the stability of Nigeria’s electricity supply system. A similar outage was also recorded on 29 December 2025, causing widespread disruption nationwide.

Persistent Challenges in the Power Sector

Although the precise cause of Tuesday’s grid collapse was not immediately clear, such incidents have historically been linked to technical faults, inadequate maintenance of transmission facilities and instability arising from fluctuations in power generation.

Experts have long argued that Nigeria’s transmission network lacks the resilience needed to handle sudden changes in load or generation, making total system collapse a recurring risk.

TCN Yet to Respond

As of the time this report was filed, the Transmission Company of Nigeria had not released an official statement detailing the cause of the collapse or providing a timeline for full restoration of power.

Consumers across the country remain in the dark, with businesses and households once again forced to rely on alternative and often costly power sources.