By Obinna Uballa
Millions of Nigerians were plunged into darkness on Tuesday as the national power grid collapsed for the second time in four days, marking another major disruption in the country’s fragile electricity supply system.
The Nigeria National Grid, which had first collapsed on Friday, January 23, 2026, experienced a fresh breakdown at 10:48 a.m. on Tuesday, according to an update on the grid’s official X handle. The development saw power supply across the country drop to zero, with electricity distribution companies (DisCos) reporting no load as of 11:20 a.m.
Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EkoDisco) confirmed the outage in a notice to customers, stating that the system collapse had affected power supply across its network.
“Dear Valued Customer, Kindly be informed there was a system collapse at 10:48hrs which has resulted to a loss of power supply across our network. We are currently working with our TCN partners as we hope for the speedy restoration of the grid. We will keep you updated as soon as power supply is restored. Kindly bear with us,” the notice read.
The outage comes amid growing concern over the reliability of Nigeria’s power infrastructure, which has suffered repeated failures in recent years. Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that electricity generation fell sharply to zero megawatts (MW) at about 11:40 a.m. on Friday, January 23, signalling a complete system failure. At that time, all 11 DisCos lost supply, affecting major distribution networks
NISO data also indicated that load allocation to the DisCos remained at zero MW as of 1:00 p.m. on Friday, confirming a nationwide blackout.
The latest collapse mirrors the troubling pattern of grid failures experienced in 2025, when the national grid suffered several breakdowns, the last of which occurred on December 29. Analysts have repeatedly warned that these recurring failures undermine economic productivity and deepen the hardship faced by millions of Nigerians who rely on electricity for businesses and daily living.
The New Diplomat had reported that former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi condemned the first grid collapse of 2026 as a “national shame” and a clear symptom of leadership failure. In a statement released via his official X handle, Obi said the pattern of power failure that plagued the country in previous years had carried into the new year.
