ANED CEO Sunday Oduntan has warned that Nigeria’s three major hydro plants contribute less than one-third of total power production, leaving the country dangerously reliant on gas-fired plants currently crippled by a 60% fuel supply shortfall.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Sunday Oduntan, has clarified that Nigeria’s hydroelectric infrastructure is insufficient to meet national demand, generating less than one-third of the country’s total electricity. Speaking in an interview with Nairametrics on Monday, March 23, 2026, Oduntan noted that the three primary hydro stations—Shiroro, Kainji, and Jebba—cannot sustain the grid alone. This structural limitation forces a heavy reliance on thermal (gas-fired) plants like the Egbin Power Station. However, these thermal plants are currently operating at a fraction of their capacity due to what the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) describes as a “persistent gas supply constraint.”
The current wave of blackouts is underpinned by a severe fuel mismatch: while thermal plants require approximately 1,588 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of gas daily, they are currently receiving only about 652 MMSCF—roughly 40% of the required volume. This has dragged national grid generation down to approximately 3,940MW as of late March, well below the 4,300MW recorded in February. Beyond the fuel crisis, Oduntan highlighted a “liquidity crisis” driven by a widening tariff mismatch and massive debts owed by government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). He urged the public to report illegal connections, stating, “People should fish out those using electricity illegally; if they see something, they should say something.”
To resolve the “power supply menace,” the ANED chief called for a total “technical and commercial alignment” across the value chain. He argued that even if generation increased to 10,000MW, the current infrastructure of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and various Discos must be upgraded to handle such loads simultaneously. With the grid already having suffered at least two total collapses in early 2026, experts suggest that until the $4.3 billion debt owed to GenCos is addressed and gas supply stabilizes, most Nigerian communities will continue to face significant load shedding and erratic supply.
READ THE FULL STORY IN NAIRAMETRICS
NEWS NOW:
