Daniel Adaji
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) on Friday began restoration of the national electricity grid following a system-wide disturbance that plunged the country into a total blackout, after multiple high-voltage transmission lines and power-generating units tripped simultaneously.
The nationwide outage occurred at approximately 12:40 hours on Friday, January 23, 2026, when the interconnected national grid collapsed, cutting electricity supply across the country.
NISO disclosed that the disturbance was linked to the simultaneous tripping of several 330kV transmission lines, alongside the disconnection of some grid-connected generating units, events that collectively led to the system failure.
In a preliminary statement issued the same day, the system operator said restoration activities commenced less than an hour after the collapse, beginning at about 13:15 hours, in line with established grid restoration and recovery procedures.
As of the time of the update, electricity supply had been successfully restored to Abuja, Osogbo, Benin, Onitsha, Sakete, Jebba, Kainji, Shiroro, and parts of Lagos. NISO said restoration efforts were ongoing and progressing in other parts of the country, as engineers worked to gradually bring additional locations back on stream.
The national grid, which evacuates power generated by various plants across the country to distribution companies, is highly sensitive to disturbances on critical transmission lines and generating units.
When multiple faults occur simultaneously, the system can become unstable, triggering a cascading failure that results in a nationwide outage.
NISO said a detailed investigation into the root and contributory causes of the disturbance was currently underway, with findings expected to guide measures aimed at preventing a recurrence.
The operator stressed that the full restoration and stabilization of the grid remained a top operational priority, as efforts continued to ensure reliable power supply nationwide.
