Nigeria’s electricity crisis deepened yesterday as power distribution companies received only 2,830 megawatts (MW) due to persistent gas shortages affecting thermal power plants.
Operational data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that grid generation stood at 3,940.53MW at about 05:00 on March 5, 2026. However, between 06:00 and 08:00 hours, several generating units were forced offline because of inadequate gas supply, triggering a further 292MW drop in available capacity.
The reduced output sharply constrained electricity available to the country’s 11 power distribution companies (DisCos), which collectively received only 2,830MW for distribution to homes and industries. At its lowest point, generation fell to about 1,490MW around 6:00 p.m., worsening outages across the country.
Among the DisCos, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received the highest allocation of 490MW. It was followed by Ikeja Electric with 484MW and Eko Electricity Distribution Company with 413MW.
Other allocations included 306MW to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, 207MW to Benin Electricity Distribution Company and 198MW to Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.
Further down the list were 178MW to Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, 173MW to Kano Electricity Distribution Company, 161MW to Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, 144MW to Jos Electricity Distribution Company and 76MW to Yola Electricity Distribution Company.
The supply constraints highlight the severity of Nigeria’s gas shortage despite the country’s vast natural gas reserves. According to NISO, thermal power plants require about 1,588.61 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of gas daily to operate optimally. However, they received only 652.92 MMSCF — roughly 40 per cent of the required supply.
The shortfall significantly restricted generation from gas-fired plants, which produce the bulk of electricity on the national grid.
FG Moves Ahead with Solar Power Projects
Amid the ongoing supply challenges, the Federal Government says Nigeria will soon add more than 200MW of solar electricity through a nationwide mini-grid programme.
Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, disclosed this in Abuja during a visit by officials of the National Judicial Institute.
Aliyu said the initiative forms part of a $750 million public programme expected to attract about $1.1 billion in private investment. The project will deploy 1,350 mini-grids nationwide, including 250 interconnected systems that will feed electricity into existing networks.
He described the initiative as one of the largest publicly funded renewable electricity programmes globally and a major step towards addressing Nigeria’s long-standing electricity deficit.
“For decades, successive governments promised to solve Nigeria’s electricity challenge, yet the narrative hardly changed,” Aliyu said. “Today we are implementing one of the largest publicly funded renewable electricity programmes in the world.”
According to him, the programme will extend off-grid electricity to rural and underserved communities while injecting more than 200MW into the national power system.
The REA is also expanding its Energising Education Programme, which provides solar-powered electricity to tertiary institutions.
Aliyu said 15 projects have already been completed, including a 12MW solar power system at the University of Maiduguri that supplies electricity to the university, its teaching hospital and surrounding facilities.
Other beneficiary institutions include the Federal University Oye‑Ekiti and the Federal University of Agriculture Akure.
Meanwhile, the National Judicial Institute may soon move off the national grid after formally requesting solar power support.
Administrator of the institute, Babatunde Adejumo, said the facility located in a rural part of the Federal Capital Territory houses nearly 900 staff and their families and requires reliable electricity to power staff quarters, hostels, a library, an ICT laboratory and a planned medical clinic.
