Nigeria may face worsening power shortages as gas suppliers reduce deliveries to thermal power plants amid mounting debts in the electricity sector.
Nigeria may experience worsening electricity shortages as gas suppliers reduce the volume of gas delivered to thermal power plants, raising concerns about the stability of power generation across the country. The Nigerian Independent System Operator said thermal plants require about 1,629.75 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to operate at optimal capacity, but supply as of February 23, 2026, stood at about 692.00 million standard cubic feet per day, representing less than 43 per cent of the required volume.
The development comes amid persistent blackouts in several states, affecting businesses and households. The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Ogaji, warned during an interview on Fresh FM in Ibadan that mounting debts across the electricity value chain are pushing the sector toward a major crisis.
Speaking on the situation, Ogaji alleged that the problem stems from the failure of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc to fully pay for electricity generated by GenCos since the sector’s privatisation. According to her, the government currently owes generation companies about N6.8 trillion, with roughly 70 per cent linked to thermal plants. She added that about 70 per cent of what is owed to gas-fired plants belongs to gas suppliers, meaning gas companies are owed about N3.3 trillion out of the N4.76 trillion associated with thermal power generation.
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