The persistent gas constraints in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) have further reduced power generation to 3,940.53 MegaWatts.
This development was announced in a statement issued by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) on Thursday in Abuja.
Nigeria currently depends on the thermal power plants, which account for about 75% of the electricity generated and consumed in the country.
Since the beginning of this year, these thermal power plants which depend on gas supply to operate optimally are hit by gas constraints, consequently, leading to drop in electricity generation and supply to homes and businesses in Nigeria.
Some power operators say the problem may persist till April or May when the Hydro-power plants are expected to come on stream.
With gas reserves of about 210trillion cubic feet, the power sector is not supposed to face gas constraints. However, market inefficiencies and low remittances to the electricity market are some of the challenges bedeviling the sector.
NISO, in the statement, disclosed that 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, resulting a cumulative reduction of approximately 292 MW in available generation on the grid during the period.
“Operational data as of 04 March 2026 indicate that thermal power plants require approximately 1,588.61 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of gas per day to operate at optimal capacity. However, actual gas supply to these stations was approximately 652.92MMSCF, representing about 40% of the gas required for optimal generation.
“These developments further reduced the total generation available for dispatch to the national grid and have contributed to the current generation inadequacy being experienced across the system,” the System Operator said.
NISO said it is actively working with the affected Generation Companies (GenCos) and relevant gas suppliers to closely monitor the situation and facilitate the restoration of generation as soon as gas supply to the affected plants stabilizes.
