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The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has explained that Friday’s collapse of the national electricity grid was caused by the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330-kilovolt transmission lines and the disconnection of some power generation units.
The system-wide disruption occurred around 12:40 p.m., according to a preliminary statement released by NISO on Saturday, and caused a complete network outage.
“The Nigerian Independent System Operator wishes to inform the public that at approximately 12:40 hours on Friday, 23 January, 2026, the national grid experienced a system-wide disturbance, which resulted in a total outage across the interconnected network,” the operator said.
According to NISO, preliminary operational findings showed that “the disturbance was associated with the simultaneous tripping of multiple 330 kV transmission lines, alongside the disconnection of some grid-connected generating units.”
It added that “these events collectively contributed to the system collapse at the time indicated.”
All 23 power plants connected to the grid reportedly lost output, leading to zero power allocation to the country’s 11 electricity distribution companies.
NISO said that following the outage, system restoration activities commenced at about 13:15 hours, in accordance with established grid restoration and recovery procedures.
“As of the time of this update, electricity supply has been successfully restored to Abuja, Osogbo, Benin, Onitsha, Sakete, Jebba, Kainji, Shiroro, and parts of Lagos, while restoration efforts are continuing progressively in other parts of the country.”
The operator added that “a detailed investigation into the root and contributory causes of the disturbance is currently ongoing.”
It also noted that “the full restoration and stabilisation of the grid remains a top operational priority.”
