Nigeria Power Crisis Deepens as 9,536MW Installed Capacity Remains Idle Amid Grid Failures

Nigeria’s electricity crisis has deepened after new data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) revealed that 9,536 megawatts of installed power generation capacity remained unused in March. Out of a total installed capacity of 13,625MW across grid-connected plants, only 4,089MW was available for dispatch, highlighting a plant availability rate of just 30 percent.

For a country of over 200 million people, actual generation has remained stuck around 4,000MW for years despite repeated promises of improvement. Although output briefly rose to about 5,000MW in 2025 following the commissioning of the Zungeru hydro plant, gas shortages and weak infrastructure quickly dragged performance back down.

The NERC report showed that several major plants recorded little or no output during the period. Facilities such as Alaoji, Omotosho II, and Ibom Power were completely idle, while others including Sapele Steam and Afam operated far below capacity due to maintenance issues, fuel constraints, and operational failures. Even newer and large-capacity plants were not spared from underperformance.

Despite the widespread shortfall, a few stations carried most of the national grid’s burden. Egbin, Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro, Delta, and Zungeru together accounted for the bulk of electricity supplied in March, with the top 10 plants delivering about 84 percent of total generation. This heavy dependence on a small number of plants has continued to expose the fragility of Nigeria’s power system.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said recent improvements in gas supply had slightly increased generation levels between late March and early April. However, industry operators argue that deeper structural issues—ranging from transmission bottlenecks to load rejection by distribution companies—are keeping thousands of megawatts stranded. Stakeholders warn that without urgent reforms, Nigeria’s grid will continue to struggle despite its large installed capacity.

source: punch