THERE appears to be no end in sight as the National Electricity Grid on Tuesday recorded its second collapse in 2026, consequently throwing many Nigerian cities into darkness.
A check on the website of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that all the Discos had no allocated supply as of 11. am, January 27.
As of the time of filing this report, data showed zero megawatts of power supply to the 11 electricity distribution companies in the country.
The grid recorded its first collapse on Friday, January 23, barely weeks after a similar incident on December 29, 2025, which caused widespread power outages across the country.
Grid collapses have largely been attributed to a combination of technical faults, including inadequate maintenance of transmission lines, and fluctuations in generation capacity.
Electricity generation dropped sharply from over 4,500 megawatts to as low as 0 megawatts as of 11 am on Tuesday.
Checks showed that all 23 power generation plants connected to the grid lost output during the incident, resulting in zero power allocation to power distribution companies.
Meanwhile, NISO has yet to respond to the latest grid collapse.
NISO had explained that the first 2026 collapse was associated with the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines, alongside the disconnection of some grid-connected generating units.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.