National Grid Collapses for Second Time in January 2026
Nigeria’s national electricity grid has suffered a second system collapse in January 2026, plunging several parts of the country into darkness and renewing concerns over the stability of the nation’s power infrastructure.
According to Daily Post, the collapse occurred late on Monday, triggering a widespread outage across major cities and forcing distribution companies to suspend supply while engineers worked to restore the system.
DisCos Confirm Outage
Power distribution companies across different regions confirmed the disruption to customers through public notices and social media updates, explaining that the blackout was caused by a system collapse on the national grid.
“We regret to inform our customers that the outage currently being experienced is due to a system collapse on the national grid. Restoration of supply will commence as soon as the grid is stabilised,” one of the DisCos stated.
TCN Responds
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) acknowledged the incident and said efforts were underway to recover the grid and restore power. While the exact cause of the collapse was not immediately disclosed, TCN said technical teams had been deployed to affected facilities to ensure a gradual and safe return of electricity.
Recurring Power Challenges
This latest incident marks the second grid failure in January, highlighting ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s power sector, including ageing infrastructure, inadequate generation capacity, and transmission bottlenecks.
Energy analysts say repeated collapses undermine business confidence, disrupt healthcare services, and impose additional costs on households and enterprises that rely on alternative power sources such as generators and inverters.
Public Reaction
Residents in several states reported sudden power loss and expressed frustration over the frequent outages, calling on authorities to prioritise long-term solutions to stabilise the grid.
Looking Ahead
The Federal Government has previously pledged to invest in grid expansion and modernisation, including the development of regional transmission loops and upgrades to critical substations. Observers say sustained investment and reforms will be crucial to prevent further nationwide blackouts.
Source: Daily Post