The national grid collapsed on Friday, marking the first major outage of 2026 and plunging the country into darkness as power supply was disrupted across all regions.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator revealed that electricity generation dropped to zero megawatts, leaving no power available for distribution.
The system operator stated that by 1 p.m. on Friday, load allocation to all 11 electricity distribution companies had fallen to zero.
Among the affected companies were Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, and Yola, each recording no allocation during the collapse.
The grid failure comes amid ongoing challenges within the power sector, including fuel supply issues and transmission constraints that have frequently led to reduced power generation.
The national grid has experienced intermittent disruptions in recent months, but Friday’s collapse represents a complete breakdown in the system.
The power outage is expected to affect homes, businesses and critical institutions, including hospitals and government offices, as the country waits for restoration.
Officials from the transmission company are yet to release a detailed explanation for the collapse, but engineers have been reported to be working to restore stability to the system.
This latest development raises fresh concerns over the reliability of the national electricity supply and the need for urgent reforms in the sector.