The Nigeria National Grid (NNG) has listed several solutions to the constant collapse of the power system.
Grid collapses have been attributed to a combination of technical faults, inadequate maintenance of transmission lines, and fluctuations in generation capacity.
The Grid recorded its second disturbance in 2026 on Tuesday, barely four days after the first occurrence, and weeks after a similar incident on December 29, 2025, which had caused widespread power outages across the country.
As of the time of filing this report, data showed zero megawatts of power supply to the 11 electricity distribution companies.
Electricity generation dropped sharply from over 4,500 megawatts to as low as 0 megawatts as of 11: 00 AM.
Checks showed that all 23 power generation plants connected to the grid reportedly lost output during the incident, resulting in zero power allocation to each of the 11 electricity distribution companies.
The Grid, however, in a post, while conversing with an X user, listed metering and grid expansion as part of the long-term panaceas to the constant system collapse.
“Metering is a huge part of the long term solution.
“Nigeria’s supply still depends on how much power is generated, transmitted, and how stable the grid is.
“So even with a meter, outages can still happen if there’s not enough electricity on the grid or if there are infrastructure failures.
“However, metering is a critical foundation for improved supply. When DisCos are properly paid for the electricity actually consumed, their revenues improve”, it said in part.
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Metering, it said, reduces debt across the value chain.
“Also, customers stop paying estimated bills, which could be outrageous sometimes.
“The positives: GENCOs get paid, gas suppliers get paid, and maintenance improves.
“Over time, this creates the financial confidence needed to invest in transformers, lines, substations, and better customer service.
“Proper metering brings fairness, transparency, and trust then constant power comes later.
‘The grand is when metering is combined with grid expansion, better transmission capacity, gas availability, and strong regulation”, the Grid noted.
Although the grid currently generates about 5,000MW, former power minister Babatunde Fashola, at one time, said the facility has capacity for up to 12, 000MW.
Experts have noted that Nigeria requires well over 30, 000MW to attain power supply sufficiency for its more than 240 million population.
Peter Obi Condemns Grid’s 5,000MW Capacity
Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, last week criticised the collapse, describing it as a continuation of a deepening national crisis.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday titled “2026: The Collapse Continues”, Obi said the grid failure recorded in January 2026 mirrored events of the previous year, when the first collapse of 2025 also occurred in January and was followed by several others.
“In January 2025, we witnessed the first grid collapse of that year, which was followed by several other collapses. Now in January 2026, the national shame has commenced with Saturday’s collapse,” he said.
Obi lamented Nigeria’s poor access to electricity, noting that the country had remained at the bottom of global rankings for three consecutive years.
“It is utterly disappointing that for three consecutive years, from 2023 to 2025, our nation has been ranked as having the least access to electricity globally, with nearly 100 million citizens left without power,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor compared Nigeria’s power generation capacity with that of other African countries, describing the gap as alarming.
“When we compare our situation to other African nations, the disparity is stark. When we compare our situation with that of other African nations, the disparity is stark. South Africa, with its population of about 64 million, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts. Egypt, with a population of about 115 million, also generates over 40,000 megawatts. Algeria, with a population of around 48 million, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts of electricity.
“Meanwhile, Nigeria, the giant of Africa and its most populous nation with over 240 million people, produces a mere 5,000 megawatts, an absurdly low figure that severely hampers our productivity,” Obi said.
According to Obi, the persistent power crisis was rooted in governance failures, stressing that the sector required capable leadership to function effectively.
“This power crisis is a direct result of continuous leadership failures. The power sector is critical and requires competent and committed leadership to thrive,” he said.
