Nigerian football fans have turned to dark humour on social media platform X to mock the country’s persistent electricity crisis, joking that even if the Super Eagles make it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, many Nigerians will have no power to watch the matches.
The jokes come against the backdrop of a worsening national grid situation. Nigeria’s electricity generation dropped below the 4,000 megawatt threshold in recent weeks due to persistent gas supply shortages affecting thermal power plants, with the Nigerian Independent System Operator recording just 3,940.53 megawatts as of one Thursday morning.
The grid collapsed at least three times in January alone, making it at least four collapses this year. Ikeja Electric, one of the country’s distribution companies, issued a public apology to customers, attributing the blackouts to gas supply constraints affecting generation capacity and promising that “relevant stakeholders are working tirelessly to address the generation shortfall.”
The power situation provided fertile ground for football fans already anxious about the Super Eagles’ World Cup fate. Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States remain in limbo after the Nigeria Football Federation filed a protest alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players — including former England youth internationals Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe — during the CAF play-off final in November 2025, which the Leopards won on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
