Gas shortage cuts 292MW from Nigeria’s power generation — NISO

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) on Thursday attributed a 292-megawatt (MW) drop in electricity generation on the national grid to insufficient gas supply to thermal power plants.

Checks by Vanguard showed that generation from 15 power plants stood at 3,118.9MW as of 4 p.m., while electricity distribution companies (DisCos) were allocated 2,749MW.

In a statement, NISO explained that the decline in generation was largely due to persistent gas supply constraints affecting several plants.

“As of 05:00 hours on Thursday, March 5, 2026, total generation on the national grid stood at 3,940.53MW, already below expected capacity due to gas supply limitations affecting a number of plants,” the operator said.

“Between 06:00 and 08:00 hours, several generating units were forced to shut down due to inadequate gas supply, resulting in a cumulative reduction of about 292MW in available generation during the period.”

NISO added that thermal plants require roughly 1,588.61 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of gas per day to operate at optimal capacity, but actual supply was about 652.92 MMSCF, or approximately 40 per cent of the required volume.

The shortfall has further reduced generation available for dispatch across the national grid, contributing to ongoing power supply challenges nationwide.

The operator said it is working closely with affected Generation Companies (GenCos) and gas suppliers to monitor the situation and restore generation as gas supply stabilizes.

The post Gas shortage cuts 292MW from Nigeria’s power generation — NISO appeared first on Vanguard News.