The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has attributed Tuesday’s disruption on the national electricity grid to a voltage disturbance at the Gombe transmission substation, dismissing reports that the incident amounted to a total system collapse.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the System Operator said the disturbance, which marked the second grid incident recorded in 2026, originated at the Gombe transmission substation before cascading across parts of the transmission network.
“The incident only affected part of the national grid; therefore, not a total collapse,” NISO said.
According to the operator, the voltage disturbance led to the tripping of some transmission lines and generating units, resulting in what it described as a partial system collapse.
“The event was accompanied by the tripping of some transmission lines and generating units, resulting in a partial system collapse,” the statement added.
NISO explained that the disturbance quickly propagated to other critical infrastructure, affecting the Jebba Transmission Substation and the Kainji Transmission Substation, while the Ayede Transmission Substation also experienced disruptions as the system imbalance spread.
The impact extended beyond Gombe before stabilisation measures were implemented to contain the disturbance and prevent further escalation across the grid.
Restoration efforts, according to the System Operator, commenced immediately after the incident, with technical teams deploying corrective actions to stabilise the system.
“The national grid has been fully restored, and electricity supply across the affected areas has since returned to normal,” NISO said, adding that restoration was completed within hours.
Nigeria’s power grid has continued to experience recurring disturbances in recent years. In 2025, the grid collapsed multiple times, with the last recorded incident occurring on December 29.
Tuesday’s disturbance represents the second grid-related incident recorded in 2026, underscoring ongoing challenges in maintaining grid stability.
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