The National Grid collapsed for the second time in January 2026, under the Supervision of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), raising serious questions on its capacity to effectively manage the grid.
Checks by TheFact Daily show that the grid collapsed to zero megawatts at about 10:48hrs on Tuesday.
This is happening barely a week after the last incident which plugged the whole country into darkness, with NISIO yet to give the reasons for the collapse.
In 2024, after series of grid collapses, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was unbundled by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) into the Transmission Service Provider (TSP) and the NISO to enhance operational efficiency, improve grid stability, and promote regulatory compliance.
This strategic restructuring, which was mandated by the Electricity Act of 2023, aimed to address poor grid performance, lack of transparency, and inadequate infrastructure.
However, questions are beginning to be asked as to whether NISO has the capacity to effectively manage the grid.
According to some industry experts, it’s too early to start blaming NISO for the grid collapse as there are several factors that cause grid collapse.
Meanwhile, they advised NISO to be more prompt in giving out information about grid collapse, especially the causes.
Earlier, while confirming the latest grid collapse, in a Public Notice to its customers, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) said: “Dear Valued Customers, we regret 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 as soon as we have more information.
“We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to serve you better.
also, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) in its notice to customers said: “Dear valued customer, kindly be informed there was a system collapse at 10:48hrs which has resulted in 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 the power supply is restored. Kindly bear with us.”
On its part, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc (PHED), said: “Dear esteemed customers, kindly be informed that the outage currently experienced in all our franchises is due to grid collapse.
“We appeal to our esteemed customers to exercise patience as the relevant team is working tirelessly to restore power supply as soon as possible. All inconveniences are regretted,” it said.
