- Nigeria faces nationwide blackout as power grid crashes again
- Kano Governor walks away from NNPP amid party turmoil
- Chaos on Lagos–Ibadan road as traffic persists after truck crash
- Ugep Poly students protest over rector appointment row
- Trump’s NATO remarks spark anger over Afghanistan war losses
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
Nigeria faces nationwide blackout as power grid crashes again
Large parts of Nigeria were left without electricity for hours on Friday, January 23, after the national power grid collapsed for the second time in four weeks. Power generation fell drastically from over 4,500 megawatts to just 24MW by early afternoon.
All 23 power plants linked to the grid went offline, leaving the 11 distribution companies with zero power allocation. Restoration was slow, with only 75MW returned by 5pm, worsening disruptions to homes and businesses.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) confirmed the outage occurred around 12:40pm due to multiple transmission line failures, resulting in a total system collapse across the country.
Kano Governor walks away from NNPP amid party turmoil
Kano State governor Abba Yusuf has officially quit the New Nigeria People’s Party, blaming worsening internal crises and unresolved leadership disputes within the party. His resignation takes effect from Friday, 23 January 2026.
In a letter sent to his ward chairman in Gwale LGA, Yusuf thanked the NNPP for its support since 2022 but said ongoing legal battles and disagreements had caused deep divisions at both state and national levels.
According to his spokesperson, the governor said the decision followed careful reflection and was taken in the best interest of Kano residents, stressing that he harbours no bitterness towards the party.
Chaos on Lagos–Ibadan road as traffic persists after truck crash
Commuters faced hours of severe traffic on Friday along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, especially between Magboro and Alausa, after a deadly crash near Otedola Bridge inward Secretariat.
The early Friday morning accident involved two heavy trucks carrying sand and granite. One driver died after being trapped, while the other survived. Motorists were diverted through inner routes linking Ojodu, Agidingbi and the Secretariat area.
Lagos traffic officials blamed the crash on reckless struggle for the right of way, noting that the collision blocked most of the road. The situation worsened with a second crash, leaving vehicles stranded for kilometres.
Ugep Poly students protest over rector appointment row
Angry students of Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, on Friday stormed the Cross River Government House in Calabar to protest an alleged move to appoint a non-indigene as rector of the school.
With placards in hand, the protesters called for respect for local content and the catchment area policy. A student leader, Stephen Etem, said the governing council had reportedly recommended a Cross River indigene as the top candidate, warning that any alteration could spark unrest.
Responding, the governor’s aide on intelligence, Goddie Akpama, urged calm and asked the students to submit formal petitions, assuring them the governor would be briefed on their concerns.
Trump’s NATO remarks spark anger over Afghanistan war losses
Remarks by US President Donald Trump downplaying the role of NATO allies in the Afghanistan war have triggered strong backlash from European leaders. Speaking in an interview in Davos, Trump claimed allied forces stayed away from the front lines and said the US never needed their support.
The 20-year conflict began after the 9/11 attacks, when the US invaded Afghanistan to target al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban. NATO later activated its mutual defence clause and joined the campaign.
About 3,600 coalition troops died during the war. While the US lost over 2,200 soldiers, countries such as the UK, Canada, and France also suffered heavy casualties and injuries.
