Nigerians have expressed outrage over the repeated collapse of the national electricity grid, describing the latest incident as a national disgrace and a failure of governance.
The national grid suffered a total collapse on Friday, January 23, 2026, plunging several parts of the country into darkness in the first such incident recorded this year.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that power generation dropped to zero megawatts at about 1 p.m., leading to a complete shutdown of electricity supply to all 11 distribution companies nationwide.
The affected electricity distribution companies include Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, and Yola, all of which reportedly recorded zero load allocation at the time of the collapse.
Reacting to the development, many Nigerians described the frequent grid failures as embarrassing and damaging to the economy.
Paul Igbashangev said it was disheartening that Nigeria continues to experience nationwide blackouts despite its population and economic potential, adding that the situation has continued to cripple businesses and households.
Another respondent, Iwuchukwu Ike, lamented that the country has witnessed repeated infrastructure failures under the current administration, describing the grid collapse as a recurring and painful issue.
Ngozi Ikechukwu also decried the worsening hardship faced by Nigerians, questioning how the country continues to battle power failures at the beginning of a new year.
Mustapha Audu urged the Federal Government to explore alternative energy solutions, including compressed natural gas (CNG), to reduce dependence on the fragile national grid.
Similarly, Adamu Yusuf alleged that political interests may be contributing to the recurring collapses, noting that such failures should not be a regular occurrence.
Adah Joseph warned that the persistent grid failures negatively affect Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, particularly impacting small businesses, healthcare facilities, and food preservation services.
Augustine Oyiwona called on the government to invest in modern transmission infrastructure, stressing that many transmission lines and substations are outdated and overdue for replacement.
He further advocated for decentralised power generation, urging the government to fully implement laws allowing states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity independently.
