Nigeria’s electricity grid faces potential disruptions this week as a major gas plant shutdown is expected to reduce power generation by nearly 1,000 megawatts, according to warnings issued by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).
The planned maintenance, scheduled from February 12 to February 15, 2026, will curtail gas supply to several thermal power plants, resulting in a projected generation shortfall of 934.96MW. This represents approximately 19.67% of the currently available thermal and hydro generation capacity of 4,753.10MW, NISO stated.
The outage stems from routine maintenance function at a facility operated by Seplat Energy, a key gas supplier and partner within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) pipeline network. While NNPC confirmed the maintenance is part of standard safety procedures, the shutdown is expected to impact power stations including Egbin, Azura, Sapele, and Transcorp Power Plants. NDPHC-operated Sapele, Olorunsogo, and Omotosho plants may too experience indirect constraints due to network-wide gas balancing effects.
Egbin Power Plc, Nigeria’s largest generation station with an installed capacity of 1,320MW, is among those directly affected. Other impacted facilities include the 461MW Azura-Edo Independent Power Plant, Sapele Power Plant (1,020MW installed capacity), and Transcorp Power (966MW). Collectively, these plants represent a significant portion of Nigeria’s generation capacity, with a combined installed capacity of 4,521MW.
NISO has indicated that critical national infrastructure and essential services will be prioritized should load management measures become necessary during the four-day maintenance period. The system operator expects normal gas supply to resume on February 16, 2026.
The anticipated shortfall underscores persistent challenges within Nigeria’s power sector, which has long struggled to meet demand despite holding Africa’s largest proven gas reserves. Industry analysts point to ageing infrastructure, gas supply bottlenecks, and financial constraints as key contributing factors. Nigeria’s national grid has an installed capacity of around 13,000MW, but actual output frequently falls short of half that figure, leading to widespread reliance on self-generated power.
The maintenance occurs as the administration of Bola Tinubu pursues reforms aimed at restructuring the power sector, including the removal of subsidies and a move towards decentralized grid management. But, progress has been gradual, and recurring blackouts remain a major public concern.
Experts have noted Nigeria’s heavy dependence on gas-fired plants – which account for over 70% of electricity generation – makes the system vulnerable to upstream disruptions. This has intensified calls for diversification into renewable energy sources. NNPC stated its gas marketing subsidiary is working with alternative suppliers to mitigate the impact of the supply gap.
