The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the root causes of a nationwide blackout after the national electricity grid suffered a total collapse on Friday. The incident, which occurred during the early afternoon, saw power generation plummet from over 4,500 megawatts (MW) to a negligible 24 MW in less than an hour.
According to a preliminary report released by NISO on Saturday, the system-wide disturbance began at approximately 12:40 p.m. on the 23rd of January 2026. The operator attributed the collapse to a volatile combination of “simultaneous tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines” and the sudden disconnection of several grid-connected generating units.
The failure was so extensive that all 23 power plants currently integrated into the national network reportedly lost output. This resulted in a “zero allocation” status for the nation’s 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos), effectively plunging the entire country into darkness.
NISO officials confirmed that recovery protocols were activated at 1:15 p.m., shortly after the system hit its lowest ebb. The restoration process follows a tiered priority list designed to stabilise the backbone of the interconnected network before local distribution is fully restored.
As of Saturday morning, NISO reported that supply had been successfully restored to several strategic hubs and regions, including:
- Northern & Central Belts: Abuja, Jebba, Kainji, and Shiroro.
- Western & Southern Regions: Osogbo, Benin, Onitsha, and parts of Lagos.
- International Link: Sakete.
“The full restoration and stabilisation of the grid remains a top operational priority,” the operator stated, noting that teams are working tirelessly to bring the remaining sections of the country back online.
Africa Update reports that while preliminary findings point to transmission line failure, NISO has commissioned a detailed inquiry to determine why the system’s protective mechanisms failed to isolate the initial fault, thereby allowing a “cascading effect” that neutralized 23 power plants.
The frequency of such “system disturbances” remains a point of significant national concern. Industry experts suggest that the simultaneous tripping of 330kV lines often indicates either physical infrastructure damage or extreme frequency fluctuations that the current grid architecture struggles to mitigate.
Although generation is gradually climbing back toward pre-collapse levels, many areas continue to experience intermittent supply as engineers work to balance the load across the restored lines. NISO has appealed for public patience while the “root and contributory causes” are thoroughly analysed to prevent a recurrence of the blackout.
