Nigeria’s national grid suffered significant power generation shortfalls due to PENGASSAN’s industrial action disrupting gas supply, forcing NISO to deploy emergency interventions to prevent a nationwide blackout
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has confirmed that the national electricity grid experienced major generation shortfalls following industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). In a public notice on Tuesday, NISO said the dispute disrupted gas supply, reducing available generation from over 4,300 MW to about 3,200 MW at its lowest point.
“The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) wishes to notify the public of recent major generation shortfalls on the National Grid, caused by industrial actions of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) within the gas supply chain,” the operator stated.
NISO said it deployed contingency measures including hydropower optimisation, load balancing, frequency support, and selective load shedding to prevent a total system collapse. The intervention added 400 MW from major hydro stations and helped sustain supply to critical loads.
The crisis stems from PENGASSAN’s dispute with Dangote Refinery over alleged unfair labour practices, which has prompted federal government intervention.