Nigeria is set to experience fresh power disruptions this week following a planned gas infrastructure maintenance that will temporarily shut down nearly 1,000 megawatts of electricity generation, tightening supply across the country.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator disclosed that generation capacity will decline by 934.96MW between February 12 and 15, representing a 19.67 per cent drop from the current available output of 4,753.10MW.
The agency said the development will lead to structured load shedding nationwide, although critical services and key infrastructure will be prioritised during the period.
The anticipated shortfall is linked to routine maintenance work by Seplat Energy, a major gas supplier and joint-venture partner within the pipeline network of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. The exercise, scheduled to last four days, highlights ongoing structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s power sector, which has struggled for decades to meet demand.
In a statement, the system operator said it received formal notice of the maintenance shutdown at a key gas supply facility, adding that normal gas supply is expected to resume on February 16.
Major thermal plants expected to be affected include the 1,320MW Egbin Power Plant, the nation’s largest generation station, alongside Azura, Sapele and Transcorp facilities. It added that other plants may experience indirect constraints due to gas balancing across the network.
Industry analysts note that Nigeria’s electricity challenges stem from a combination of ageing infrastructure, gas supply bottlenecks and liquidity problems within the sector. Although the national grid has an installed capacity of about 13,000MW, actual output rarely reaches half that level, forcing homes and businesses to depend heavily on self-generated power.
Gas shortages remain a recurring obstacle despite Nigeria holding Africa’s largest proven reserves. Experts attribute the paradox to export commitments, pipeline vandalism, operational inefficiencies and weak financial conditions among generation companies.
NNPC confirmed that the maintenance forms part of standard safety and asset-integrity procedures designed to prevent unplanned outages. The company added that its gas marketing subsidiary is working with alternative suppliers to cushion the expected supply gap.
The development comes at a delicate time for the power industry as the administration of Bola Tinubu pursues reforms aimed at restructuring the sector, including subsidy removal and decentralised grid management. However, progress has remained gradual amid persistent public concern over recurring blackouts.
Energy experts warn that Nigeria’s heavy reliance on gas-fired plants, which account for over 70 per cent of electricity generation, leaves the system vulnerable to upstream disruptions, intensifying calls for diversification into renewable energy sources.
