The Federal Government has acknowledged renewed power outages in Nigeria, following complaints from electricity consumers in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states, where households and businesses have experienced reduced hours of electricity despite recent improvements in supply.
Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said the disruptions resulted from a combination of gas supply shortages, maintenance challenges and reduced electricity generation from hydroelectric power stations. He explained that preliminary assessments had not identified a major or systemic failure of the national grid, although several operational difficulties across the electricity sector had affected the amount of power available to consumers.
The government said it was working with relevant agencies and electricity distribution companies to address the problems and restore normal supply. However, the latest development has renewed concerns about the reliability of Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure and the country’s ability to provide consistent power to homes, businesses and industries.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Adeola Adelabu, Tegbe acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the recent disruptions and assured consumers that the ministry was taking steps to address the situation.
Power Outages in Nigeria Linked to Gas Shortages and Low Water Levels
The Federal Ministry of Power identified inadequate gas supplies to thermal power stations as one of the major factors behind the recent decline in electricity generation.
Thermal power plants depend heavily on natural gas to generate electricity, meaning shortages can prevent generating companies from operating at their available capacity. When these facilities receive insufficient gas, the amount of electricity they contribute to the national grid reduces, leaving distribution companies with less power to allocate to their customers.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) also identified gas supply constraints and reduced water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs as major challenges affecting electricity generation.
Hydroelectric power stations depend on sufficient water levels to maintain generation. However, lower inflows into reservoirs have affected the output of some facilities, adding further pressure to an electricity system already dealing with gas supply difficulties.
The ministry also identified maintenance and operational challenges across different parts of the electricity value chain as contributing factors.
These combined problems have reduced the electricity available for distribution, resulting in shorter supply hours and increased load shedding across affected networks.
Abuja Disco Receives Highest Electricity Allocation
Electricity distribution figures recorded at 4:41 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, showed that the 11 distribution companies received a combined allocation of 2,926 megawatts.
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received the highest allocation of 633MW, representing approximately 21.6 per cent of the total power allocated to the companies.
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company followed with 391MW, while Port Harcourt Disco received 320MW. Benin Disco received 264MW, while Eko Disco and Enugu Disco received 256MW and 253MW respectively.
Ikeja Electric received 249MW, followed by Kano Disco with 173MW and Kaduna Disco with 167MW. Jos Disco received 146MW, while Yola Disco recorded the lowest allocation at 74MW.
Although Abuja Disco received the largest allocation among the distribution companies, the figures do not necessarily represent the actual electricity delivered to individual households and businesses.
The allocations reflect the power assigned to each distribution network at the recorded time, while actual supply to consumers may vary depending on network conditions and other operational factors.
FG Directs TCN, NISO and DisCos to Address Disruptions
Following the complaints from consumers, Tegbe engaged the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), NISO and electricity distribution companies to resolve the challenges affecting electricity supply.
The minister directed the operators to address the operational constraints responsible for the disruptions, accelerate ongoing maintenance activities and provide regular information to the public as restoration efforts continue.
The government also reaffirmed its commitment to improving electricity reliability and maintaining the progress previously recorded in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has facilitated the clearance of 44 containers of abandoned electricity equipment from Apapa ports in Lagos, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to resolve issues delaying the release of stranded power infrastructure materials.
According to the minister, more than 300 containers had remained at the ports, with some reportedly stranded since 2014. The first 44 containers have now been released, and technical experts are expected to inspect their contents before any deployment.
The government said serviceable equipment would support ongoing electricity projects, while materials considered unusable would be disposed of appropriately.
The development forms part of wider efforts to recover abandoned infrastructure and improve the country’s electricity system. However, the ministry has not disclosed the full contents of the released containers or provided a specific timeline for their deployment.
For now, households and businesses across the affected states are awaiting improvements in electricity supply as the government works with power sector operators to address the latest disruptions.