Concerns are rising that incessant grid collapse cases may be returning to Nigeria’s power sector, as Nigerians experienced three incidents in less than a month.
Electricity distribution companies blamed low power generation for the disruptions, though they did not agree that the sector is reverting to the era of frequent grid failures.
The national power grid collapsed again on Tuesday, the second time in four days. This marks the second grid collapse in January 2026 and the third in less than a month. The grid previously collapsed on December 29, 2025, and on Friday, January 23, 2026, before the latest incident on Thursday.
Recall that the grid collapsed almost monthly in 2024, but the situation improved in 2025 when only two major collapses were recorded. However, experiencing two incidents in four days—and three in less than a month—signals a worrying trend to stakeholders in the Nigerian electricity supply industry.
The power generation dropped to just 39 megawatts at 11 am on Tuesday, down from 3,825 MW at 10 am. Our correspondent noted that generation peaked at 4,762 MW as of 6 am on Tuesday. During the collapse, load allocation to the DisCos was 0.00 MW, indicating that no company was supplying electricity at the time.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company said, “Dear valued customers, we regret to inform you that there is currently a loss of power supply across our franchise area.
“We do not have a view of when we will be restored to the grid; however, our technical teams are working closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure the prompt restoration. We will update you as soon as we have more information. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to serve you better.”
