Nigeria was thrown into darkness on Friday after the national electricity grid collapsed, marking the first system failure of 2026.

Figures from the Nigerian Independent System Operator showed that electricity generation nationwide fell to zero megawatts around 1:00 pm, confirming a complete grid shutdown.

The incident led to widespread blackouts across the country, forcing electricity distribution companies to halt power supply to customers following the system collapse.

Many consumers lost power shortly after midday, disrupting businesses, households, and public services across the country.

Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator showed that electricity generation dropped to 0 megawatts at about 1:00 pm, prompting distribution companies to shut down supply nationwide following the system failure.

Electricity distribution companies shut down supply nationwide following the system failure, triggering a blackout shortly after midday that disrupted businesses, households, and public services.

Distribution companies including Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, and Yola all recorded zero power allocation.

In December, Nairametrics reported that Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed, pushing power supply across much of the country to near-zero levels.
While the cause of the latest collapse was not immediately disclosed, such incidents are often attributed to a mix of inadequate generation capacity, transmission bottlenecks, frequency instability, gas supply issues, and technical faults on the transmission network.

The grid has experienced repeated failures in recent years, intensifying concerns over the resilience and reliability of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.