Nigeria: Blackout Across Nigeria As National Grid Collapses Again

(file photo)
27 January 2026

This is the second time in less than five days that Nigeria's national grid has suffered a disturbance resulting in a nationwide power outage.

Nigerians were on Tuesday morning thrown into darkness due to the collapse of the national electricity grid.

This is the second time in less than five days that Nigeria's national grid has suffered a disturbance resulting in a nationwide power outage.

Major districts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, were without electricity at the time of filing this report. Persistent grid collapses and erratic power supply have continued to disrupt businesses and households across the country, forcing many Nigerians to rely on alternatives such as generators and solar power.

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Last Friday, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) informed the public that at approximately 12:40 hours, the national grid experienced a system-wide disturbance that resulted in a total outage across the interconnected network.

According to the operators, operational reports indicated that the disturbance was linked to the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines, alongside the disconnection of some grid-connected generating units.

These events, it said, collectively contributed to the system collapse at the time indicated.

Following the outage, system restoration activities commenced at about 13:15 hours, in line with established grid restoration and recovery procedures. Electricity supply was subsequently restored to Abuja, Osogbo, Benin, Onitsha, Sakete, Jebba, Kainji, Shiroro and parts of Lagos, while restoration efforts continued in other parts of the country.

On Tuesday, major electricity distribution companies confirmed the latest outage.

More details later...

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