National grid collapses again, power supply drops to near zero nationwide

Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed on Monday afternoon, leaving power supply across most of the country at near zero levels.

Distribution load figures released at 3:12 pm on December 29, 2025, showed only minimal electricity was reaching consumers.

Data from the Distribution Companies (DisCos) revealed that only Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received power at the time, recording 30 megawatts (MW) and 20 MW respectively.

All other operators, including Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Yola DisCos, were allocated zero megawatts.

Nationwide electricity distribution stood at just 50 MW, far below normal operating levels, leaving homes, businesses, and critical services without adequate power. Efforts to restore the grid were reported to be ongoing by the Nigerian National Grid (NNG) as of Monday evening.

What the data is saying 

The latest figures indicate a widespread and severe outage affecting major urban and regional centres across Nigeria.

With only 50 MW being supplied nationwide, the collapse represents one of the most significant disruptions in recent years.

The near-total blackout affected not just households but also businesses and public infrastructure that rely on stable electricity supply.

No official explanation had been provided by the Transmission Company of Nigeria or the Federal Ministry of Power at the time of reporting, leaving the cause and expected restoration timeline unclear.

Nigeria’s national grid has experienced repeated collapses in recent years, often leading to prolonged blackouts and disruptions to economic activities.

Experts attribute these failures to a combination of ageing infrastructure, insufficient power generation, transmission bottlenecks, and technical faults within the grid system.

Previous collapses have highlighted vulnerabilities in grid management, including inadequate preventive maintenance and delays in repairing damaged transmission lines.

The recurrence of nationwide outages underscores the fragility of Nigeria’s power sector and the urgent need for systemic improvements.

What this means 

The collapse demonstrates the ongoing challenges facing Nigeria’s electricity supply and the impact on economic and social activities.

Until systemic fixes are implemented, the country remains vulnerable to similar disruptions, which threaten businesses, essential services, and daily life across all affected regions.

This latest outage adds to mounting pressure on authorities to enhance grid reliability and accelerate infrastructure investments to prevent recurrent national blackouts.(Nairametrics)