The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) says a shortage of gas supply has led to a 292-megawatt (MW) drop in electricity generation on Nigeria’s national grid.
In a statement on Thursday, the operator explained that inadequate gas supply to thermal power plants was largely responsible for the decline in generation.
Data reviewed by Vanguard showed that electricity generation from 15 power plants stood at 3,118.9MW as of 4 p.m., while Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) received an allocation of about 2,749MW.
According to NISO, total power generation on the grid was already below expected capacity earlier in the day.
“As of 05:00 hours on Thursday, March 5, 2026, total generation on the national grid stood at 3,940.53MW, which was already below expected capacity due to gas supply constraints affecting several plants,” the statement said.
The operator added that between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., several generating units were forced to shut down because of inadequate gas supply, leading to a combined loss of about 292MW during that period.
NISO further noted that thermal power plants require approximately 1,588.61 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of gas daily to operate at full capacity. However, actual gas supply was only 652.92 MMSCF, representing about 40 percentof the required volume.
The gas deficit has further reduced electricity available for distribution across the national grid, worsening ongoing power supply challenges in the country.
NISO said it is currently working with affected Generation Companies (GenCos) and gas suppliers to closely monitor the situation and restore electricity generation once gas supply improves.
