Repeated Power Grid collapses Raise Fresh Reform Questions
Nigeria’s recurring power grid collapses has once again moved to the forefront of national debate after Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo called on the National Assembly to launch a comprehensive investigation into the country’s failing electricity system. Speaking in Benin City on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, the governor described the frequent nationwide blackouts as a serious threat to economic stability and industrial growth. His remarks followed the second total grid failure in less than a week, an incident that saw national power generation crash to just 39 megawatts.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, made the call during a meeting with the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Power Sector Reform and Expenditure. He stressed that Nigeria’s ambition to become an industrialized economy cannot be achieved without a reliable electricity supply. According to him, the repeated collapses point to deeper structural weaknesses that years of reforms have failed to resolve.
The urgency of the governor’s appeal reflects a turbulent start to 2026 for the national power system. Since the end of last year, the grid has recorded multiple disruptions, leaving homes and businesses without electricity for extended periods.
Late December 2025 ended with a system disturbance that triggered a widespread blackout. On January 23, 2026, the grid suffered its first complete collapse of the year, with generation dropping to zero. Just four days later, another failure occurred after a voltage disturbance at the Gombe Transmission Substation spread across the network.
Governor Okpebholo warned that such a pattern is unsustainable. He noted that stable electricity remains the backbone of any thriving economy and argued that Nigeria would unlock enormous potential if the power sector were fixed. He also welcomed the National Assembly’s decision to audit power sector spending from 2007 to 2024, insisting that Nigerians deserve clear answers on how massive investments have produced so little progress.
The House of Representatives committee, chaired by Ibrahim Aliyu, is currently touring the country to assess power projects funded by the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria. During its visit to Edo State, the committee inspected facilities operated by Azura Power and the Benin Generation Company to evaluate their capacity and operational challenges.
Aliyu described the recurring grid failures as deeply troubling and questioned whether privatization has delivered the efficiency it promised. He explained that the investigation would focus on the condition of critical transmission infrastructure, the use of intervention funds allocated to distribution and generation companies, and the effectiveness of existing regulations under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Independent System Operator.
Although the Nigerian Independent System Operator stated that electricity was restored within hours of the latest collapse, analysts say the broader economic damage is far from minimal. Frequent grid failures force industries and small businesses to rely on diesel powered generators, significantly increasing production costs and consumer prices.
READ ALSO: NNPC Increases Petrol Price in Lagos and Abuja, What It Means for Nigerians
In Benin City, the governor highlighted state level efforts to improve electricity access, including the provision of transformers to underserved communities. However, he noted that such interventions become meaningless when the national grid repeatedly fails to deliver power.
The renewed call for accountability has also intensified political conversations around energy reform. Critics have questioned the federal government’s handling of the power crisis, pointing to long standing promises of stable electricity that remain unfulfilled. As lawmakers prepare to conclude their audit of the sector, Governor Okpebholo’s position adds pressure for decisive action aimed at ending a cycle of darkness that continues to slow Nigeria’s economic progress.