Gas
Nigeria faces power disruptions as gas shortages hit grid
Electricity supply has dipped across five Nigerian states due to thermal plant gas shortages and low hydro inflows, prompting government action on stranded equipment.
Key points
- Outages affect Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states.
- Minister of Power attributes the drop to gas shortages, maintenance issues and low hydro output.
- Federal Government clears 44 stranded containers of power equipment from Apapa ports.
Punch reported that electricity supply disruptions have worsened across Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara, and Oyo states. According to the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, the affected areas had previously experienced steadier power supply before the recent setbacks. The minister attributed the renewed outages to maintenance hurdles, fuel shortages at thermal stations, and reduced electricity generation from hydropower facilities.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator corroborated these constraints, pointing to inadequate fuel availability and low water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs as major bottlenecks for the national grid. However, the ministry stressed that the current instability did not stem from a systemic collapse of the grid infrastructure. Government officials are actively collaborating with the Transmission Company of Nigeria and distribution companies to normalise operations.
In tandem with addressing generation bottlenecks, the Federal Government has moved to clear long-abandoned infrastructure. Following a directive from President Bola Tinubu, authorities facilitated the release of 44 containers holding electrical equipment from the Apapa ports in Lagos. Some of these items had remained stranded since 2014. Technical teams will evaluate the contents to deploy serviceable items to ongoing power projects, following similar equipment recoveries by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.
Distribution allocations
Recent electricity distribution data highlighted stark disparities in power allocation across the country. On November 5, 2026, the eleven distribution companies received a combined allocation of 2,926 megawatts. Abuja Electricity Distribution Company obtained the largest share at 633 megawatts, representing roughly 21.6 per cent of the total allocation. Ibadan Disco followed with 391 megawatts, whereas Yola Disco received the lowest allocation at a mere 74 megawatts. Industry observers note that these figures reflect allocated load rather than the actual volume of electricity reaching households and businesses.
Why it matters
For energy investors and policymakers, recurring grid disruptions underscore the fragility of the power sector in Africa's largest economy. World Bank data shows that Nigeria's electricity use per person stood at 140.6 kilowatt-hours in 2024, a fraction of the global average of 3,708.5 kilowatt-hours. Furthermore, national access to electricity was recorded at 62.5 per cent in the same year, leaving millions without reliable power. Overcoming structural bottlenecks, securing reliable thermal gas supplies, and efficiently deploying recovered infrastructure are imperative steps to bridge the country's severe energy deficit and support industrial growth.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Gas is the flexible backbone of many grids and the designated transition fuel in many national plans, from LNG trade to domestic LPG and CNG. Supply security and pricing drive both power reliability and emissions.
72.9% of electricity in Nigeria came from gas in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
