Decline in electricity supply as power generation drops by 11%

By Mariam Eko

Nigeria’s electricity supply will continue to worsen following the consistent decline in power generation.

Data obtained from the Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO, showed that generation stood at 2,898 megawatts, MW, yesterday with a shortfall of 11 percent from 3,222MW recorded on Monday.

The sharp drop forced electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos to embark on widespread load shedding across their various business districts nationwide.

In a notice issued to stakeholders and general public on Thursday, the system operator announced the continued decline in electricity generation on the national grid which arise from persistent gas supply constraints affecting several thermal power plants.

NISO explained that “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.

“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 292 MW in available generation on the grid during the period”.

According to Operational data as of 04 March 2026, it indicates 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.

The operator noted that 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.

“NISO 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”.

The System Operator continues to take necessary operational measures to maintain grid stability while managing the impact of the reduced generation on the network.

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