Nigeria suffers first power grid failure of 2026 as national electricity system collapses
Nigeria’s national electricity grid has suffered its first system collapse of 2026, plunging several parts of the country into darkness and disrupting power supply nationwide.
The collapse occurred in the early hours of the day, according to officials within the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), who confirmed that the grid experienced a total shutdown due to technical disturbances within the transmission network.
Power generation reportedly dropped sharply from over 4,000 megawatts to zero, forcing distribution companies across the country to shut down feeders and substations to protect their equipment.
TCN spokespersons said engineers were immediately deployed to carry out restoration processes, including black-start procedures, to gradually restore electricity to affected areas. “Efforts are ongoing to stabilize the grid and resume normal power supply as soon as possible,” the agency said.
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The grid collapse affected major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Benin, Onitsha and Kano, among others, with households, hospitals, and businesses forced to rely on alternative power sources.
Electricity distribution companies confirmed the outage and urged customers to remain patient while restoration work continues. Some discos warned that power may return in phases to avoid further instability.
Nigeria has continued to grapple with frequent grid failures, often attributed to aging infrastructure, insufficient transmission capacity, vandalism, gas supply constraints, and operational challenges within the power sector.
Energy experts say the latest collapse highlights the urgent need for sustained investment in transmission infrastructure and decentralised power solutions to reduce the impact of nationwide outages.
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As of the time of filing this report, gradual restoration had commenced, with officials assuring Nigerians that full system stability would be achieved once technical issues are fully resolved.
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