Nigeria’s electricity generation has dropped further below the 4,000-megawatt threshold following persistent gas supply shortages affecting thermal power plants across the country, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) said on Thursday.
In a statement titled “Gas Constraints Lead to Temporary Reduction in Power Generation,” the grid operator disclosed that the national grid generated only 3,940.53 megawatts as of 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, reflecting ongoing fuel supply challenges that have continued to constrain output from gas-fired plants.
“The Nigerian Independent System Operator wishes to inform stakeholders and the public of the continued decline in electricity generation on the national grid arising from persistent gas supply constraints affecting several thermal power plants.
“As at 05:00 hours of today, Thursday, 5th March 2026, total generation on the national grid stood at 3,940.53 MW, which was already below the expected capacity due to existing gas supply limitations impacting a number of generating stations,” the statement said.
According to the agency, the output level was already below expected capacity due to ongoing gas supply shortages impacting several power plants across the country.
The operator added that the situation deteriorated within hours as a number of generating units were forced to shut down due to inadequate gas supply.
“Between 06:00 hours and 08:00 hours, several generating units were forced to shut down as a result of inadequate gas supply to the plants. This resulted in a cumulative reduction of approximately 292MW in available generation on the grid during the period,” the operator said.
According to the report by Punch newspaper, Thursday’s announcement comes barely weeks after the system operator issued an earlier notice in February 2026, warning of generation shortfalls caused by similar gas supply constraints.
In that earlier update, the grid operator said electricity generation had dropped to about 4,300MW, already reflecting the impact of limited gas availability to power plants.
The latest figure of 3,940.53MW therefore represents a further decline in available generation capacity compared to the February notice, highlighting the worsening impact of fuel supply shortages on Nigeria’s power system.
In the new notice, operational data cited by the system operator show that thermal power plants on the national grid require about 1,588.61 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to operate at optimal capacity.
However, actual gas supply to the plants currently stands at only 652.92 million standard cubic feet per day, representing roughly 40 per cent of the required volume.
“This shortfall has significantly affected the ability of thermal power plants to operate at optimal capacity and has further reduced the total generation available for dispatch to the national grid,” the statement said.
Nigeria’s power generation mix is heavily dependent on gas-fired thermal plants, which account for more than 70 per cent of electricity supplied to the national grid.
However, the sector has been plagued by recurring gas supply constraints caused by pipeline vandalism, inadequate gas infrastructure, payment disputes between power generation companies and gas suppliers, and the diversion of gas to more profitable export markets.
GIK/APA