Following the collapse of the national grid yesterday morning again, causing major power outages and throwing Nigerians into darkness and disrupting economic activities nationwide, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has expressed grave concern over the second incident within five days.

Following this, the LCCI said it is urgently calling for an overwhelming independent forensic audit of the national grid to ascertain the reason behind the frequent collapses of the national asset that has gulped trillions of naira.

Reacting to the news of the second national grid collapse, the LCCI Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chinyere Almona, explained that this recurrence underscores deep structural and operational weaknesses in the power transmission system and poses a direct threat to manufacturers, MSMEs and Nigeria’s overall business environment at a critical moment when the economy is expected to move from crisis management and stabilization (2023–2025) into a consolidation phase in 2026. Based on recent patterns and in the absence of urgent structural fixes, the LCCI estimates that Nigeria could experience numerous grid collapses this year under a “business-asusual” scenario.

But with immediate reforms, system upgrades and strict operational discipline, this figure can be reduced to zero incidents, moving the country closer to grid reliability benchmarks required for economic consolidation, she stated.

According to her: “The LCCI notes that repeated grid failures impose severe costs on businesses through lost production hours, damaged equipment, increased reliance on self-generation, higher operating expenses and reduced competitiveness.

These disruptions weaken investor confidence, worsen inflationary pressures and undermine the credibility of economic reforms. “LCCI, therefore, calls on the Federal Government to take a decisive and transparent position by instituting an independent forensic audit of the national grid covering transmission infrastructure integrity, system protection schemes, operational protocols and governance of grid management.

The findings should form a critical part of a grid performance system reform in the short term.” Almona noted: “Without urgent intervention, recurring grid collapses will continue to undermine the government’s objective of entering a consolidation phase in 2026, while constraining productivity, exports and job creation.” She added: “Reliable power supply is foundational to industrialisation, competitiveness and macroeconomic stability.

“The Chamber then reiterated that restoring grid stability must be treated as an economic emergency, not merely a technical issue. At this stage, the causes of these collapses should be well understood, better managed and effectively prevented. What we are witnessing today is, therefore, unacceptable and calls for decisive, coordinated action to safeguard national economic performance.”