Nigeria’s power grid has collapsed again, recording its second system failure within five days and triggering widespread outages.
Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed on Tuesday morning, plunging the country into widespread power outages.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) obtained by TheCable showed that load allocation to the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) dropped to zero megawatts (MW) by 11 a.m., while overall power generation fell to just 39 MW.
This marks the second grid collapse in less than a week, following a similar failure on January 23, and continues a troubling trend of instability after multiple outages in 2025, the last recorded on December 29.
According to NISO, the collapse resulted from a system-wide disturbance triggered by the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines and the disconnection of some grid-connected generating units.
“Preliminary operational reports indicate that the disturbance was associated with the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines, alongside the disconnection of some grid-connected generating units,” NISO said. “These events collectively contributed to the system collapse at the time indicated.”
The repeated failures highlight ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s power infrastructure, underscoring the need for urgent investment and maintenance to prevent further disruptions to households and businesses nationwide.