Nigeria’s grid-connected power plants operated at an average load factor of 86 percent in August 2026, even as grid frequency and voltage both strayed outside approved limits during the month, according to the latest Operational Performance Factsheet released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The report released on Wednesday, shows that an average of 4,758 megawatts (MW) was available for dispatch across the national grid during the month, out of which 4,102 MW was actually utilised on an hourly average basis, representing the 86 percent load factor.
Among individual plants, Afam_2, Kainji_1 and Egbin_1 emerged as the top performers, recording load factors of 99 percent, 98 percent and 96 percent respectively.
Afam_2 generated an average of 262 MW out of its 265 MW available capacity, while Kainji_1 produced 345 MW out of 352 MW, and Egbin_1 delivered 333 MW out of 347 MW.
Other notable performers included Ihovbor_2 with a load factor of 92 percent (418/454MW), Okpai_1 at 87 percent (180/207MW), and Shiroro_1 at 87 percent (381/438MW).
Jebba_1 recorded 83 percent (404/489MW), Delta_1 stood at 80 percent (317/398MW), while Odukpani_1 and Zungeru_1 trailed with 74 percent (248/337MW) and 72 percent (404/564MW) respectively.
On grid stability, the factsheet flagged concerns around frequency and voltage performance during the month. The average lower grid frequency recorded was 49.34Hz, while the average upper frequency hit 50.67Hz, both falling outside NERC’s prescribed target range of 49.75Hz to 50.25Hz.
Similarly, voltage levels on the grid breached approved thresholds. The monthly average lower grid voltage stood at 302.29kV and the average upper grid voltage reached 349.68kV, both exceeding the target range of 313.50kV to 346.50kV set by the regulator.
The Commission’s monthly factsheets are designed to track the operational efficiency of Nigeria’s power generation infrastructure and provide transparency on how available capacity is being dispatched across the grid, while also monitoring compliance with technical parameters that affect overall grid reliability.
