Nigeria's national electricity grid experienced another collapse on the morning of Tuesday, January 27, leading to widespread power outages across the country. This marks the second such failure in less than a week, following a previous collapse on Friday, January 23.

The grid incident resulted in load allocation to all 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) dropping to zero megawatts (MW). At the time of the collapse, only the Delta Gas Power Plant was generating electricity, contributing a mere 39 MW to the national grid, leaving the rest of the nation without supply.

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) attributed the collapse to a system-wide disturbance. Preliminary operational reports indicated that the event was associated with the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines, coupled with the disconnection of several grid-connected generating units. These collective events are identified as the root cause of the system's failure.

Following the outage, NISO initiated system restoration activities at approximately 13:15 hours, adhering to established grid recovery procedures. Efforts have successfully restored electricity supply to various regions, including Abuja, Osogbo, Benin, Onitsha, Sakete, Jebba, Kainji, Shiroro, and parts of Lagos. Restoration work is progressively continuing in other affected areas of the country.

A detailed investigation into the fundamental and contributing causes of this disturbance is currently underway, with the full restoration and stabilization of the grid remaining a top operational priority. These repeated failures underscore the persistent challenges within Nigeria’s power infrastructure, highlighting an urgent need for significant investment and sustained maintenance to prevent further disruptions to households and businesses nationwide.