Nigeria’s electricity supply fell sharply this week after gas shortages reduced output at power generation plants, forcing grid operators to ration electricity nationwide, officials and power distributors said on Tuesday.
The Nigeria National Grid, an information platform that tracks grid performance, said generating companies were unable to operate at full capacity because of limited gas supply. The shortage reduced generation frequency and triggered widespread load shedding.
“Major reason for the drop in power supply nationwide: GenCos are experiencing gas supply constraints affecting their optimal output,” the platform said in a post on X on December 16.
Nigeria’s power system relies heavily on gas-fired plants, which produce most of the country’s electricity. When gas supply falls, generation drops, pushing the grid into low-frequency conditions that force the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to cut power to avoid system collapse.
The impact has been felt across several regions, with distribution companies reporting reduced electricity allocation and longer outages for customers.
In the South-East, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) said power supply had declined because low system frequency forced TCN to implement load shedding.
“The recent drop in power supply availability is due to gas constraints affecting the Generation Companies,” EEDC said in a statement signed by its Group Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh.
The company said the reduced generation led to lower energy allocation to EEDC and affected service delivery to customers served by its subsidiaries, including MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra and EastLand.
EEDC apologised to customers for the disruption and said industry stakeholders were working to stabilise the system and restore normal supply.
A similar situation is playing out in the South-South region. Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc (PHED) said customers in its franchise areas were experiencing load shedding due to poor generation and reduced allocation from power producers.
“Current load shedding being experienced in all our franchise areas is a result of poor generation and allocation from the generating company,” PHED said in a notice to customers.
PHED supplies electricity to Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.
Across the country, electricity users have complained of worsening outages, with many households and businesses reporting extended blackouts over recent days. Small businesses, which rely heavily on grid power to cut fuel costs, say the outages are increasing operating expenses and disrupting daily activity.
Nigeria has one of the world’s largest proven natural gas reserves, yet its power plants often struggle to secure enough fuel. Industry experts say the problem is rooted in weak gas infrastructure, pipeline vandalism, security challenges and poor commercial terms.
Low domestic gas prices and weak contract enforcement, including the absence of strong “take-or-pay” agreements, have discouraged investment in gas supply for power generation. Payment delays and subsidy-related issues have also strained the system.
The recurring gas shortages have left thermal power plants underutilised, triggered frequent blackouts and weakened investor confidence in Nigeria’s power sector.
Power distributors say restoring stable electricity will depend on resolving gas supply bottlenecks and improving coordination across the electricity value chain, from gas producers to grid operators.
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