Many Nigerians have criticised the Federal Government over the repeated collapse of the national electricity grid, describing it as a national embarrassment.
Nigeria’s electricity grid collapsed on Friday, January 24, 2026, plunging several parts of the country into darkness. This is the first total collapse of the grid recorded in 2026.
Figures from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that power generation dropped to zero megawatts at about 1 p.m. As a result, electricity supply to all 11 distribution companies across the country was cut off.
The affected distribution companies include Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja and Yola, all of which recorded zero power allocation at the time of the collapse.
Reacting to the development, many Nigerians expressed anger and frustration over the frequent failure of the national grid.
Paul Igbashangev described the situation as disheartening, saying it was unfortunate that a country like Nigeria continues to experience regular grid collapses.
He added that the situation affects both businesses and households and urged the authorities to find a lasting solution.
Another Nigerian, Iwuchukwu Ike, blamed the current administration, saying the country has witnessed one problem after another since it came into power. He lamented that the national grid now seems to collapse almost every market day.
Ngozi Ikechukwu said the situation is becoming unbearable, especially with the current economic hardship. She questioned why Nigerians are still battling nationwide blackouts at the beginning of a new year.
Mustapha Audu suggested that the Federal Government should adopt Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) solutions to prevent frequent grid failures. He described the nationwide blackout in a country of over 200 million people as shameful.
Adamu Yusuf alleged that some individuals are exploiting the situation for personal gain.
He said the national grid should not be collapsing so often and questioned why those responsible are not being held accountable.
Adah Joseph said the repeated collapse of the grid is damaging the national economy and reducing productivity.
He noted that businesses, especially those that depend on refrigeration, as well as health facilities, are badly affected. He urged the government to treat the power sector as a top priority.
Augustine Oyiwona called on the government to invest heavily in new transmission lines and substations, noting that many of the existing facilities are more than 40 years old.
He also advised replacing manual systems with modern real-time monitoring technology and allowing state governments to generate, transmit and distribute electricity as provided by law.
Paul Igbadi described the situation as a result of negligence by the government.
