The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), has attributed the recent decline in power generation, which has triggered blackouts across the country, to gas supply constraints affecting thermal power plants and reduced output from hydroelectric power stations.

The disclosure was contained in a statement issued by NISO on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

The agency said limited gas availability had constrained affected thermal generating stations from operating at their available capacity, while reduced water inflows into reservoirs had affected hydroelectric power generation.

The development has reduced the volume of electricity available for distribution nationwide, leading to shorter supply hours and increased load shedding across distribution networks.

Gas Shortages Weigh on Nigeria’s Power Supply

NISO said the current decline in electricity generation on the national grid was primarily caused by constraints in gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced output from hydroelectric plants.

The agency explained that limited gas availability had prevented some thermal power stations from operating at their available capacity, while lower water inflows into reservoirs had affected the output of hydroelectric stations.

The statement partly reads:

• “The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) wishes to inform the public that the current decline in electricity generation on the national grid is primarily attributed to constraints in gas supply to thermal power generating stations and reduced output from hydroelectric power stations.
• “The limited availability of gas has constrained the capacity of affected thermal generating stations to operate at their available levels, while reduced water inflows into reservoirs have impacted the generation capacity of hydroelectric power stations.”

NISO said the generation shortfall had affected the volume of electricity allocated to Distribution Companies (DisCos) for onward supply to consumers, resulting in fewer hours of electricity and increased load shedding.

It added that the level of disruption varies across the country, depending on available generation and the corresponding allocations to individual DisCos.

NISO Moves to Strengthen Grid Stability

NISO acknowledged the impact of the ongoing generation shortfall on electricity consumers nationwide and said it recognised the concerns raised by members of the public and other stakeholders.

The system operator said it was working to diversify the national grid’s energy mix to strengthen the security of electricity supply.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining grid stability and optimising the dispatch of available generation despite the prevailing operational constraints.

The statement added:

• “While we are actively working on the diversification of our energy mix for the national grid to ensure security of supply, NISO remains committed to maintaining grid stability, optimizing the dispatch of available generation, and ensuring the secure, reliable and efficient operation of the national grid within prevailing operational constraints.”

The agency said these efforts were aimed at ensuring the continued secure, reliable and efficient operation of the national grid.

What you should know

Nairametrics reported a few weeks ago that parts of Lagos and Abuja were experiencing electricity supply disruptions, with Ikeja Electric and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) attributing the outages to reduced power allocations from the national grid and technical faults, respectively.

• The two electricity distribution companies used their official communication channels to inform customers about the causes of the disruptions and their efforts to restore supply.
• Ikeja Electric, which distributes electricity to several parts of Lagos, including Ikeja and surrounding communities, acknowledged that its network was experiencing supply constraints, resulting in fewer hours of electricity for customers.
• The company explained that insufficient electricity allocated to its network from the national grid had limited the amount of power available for distribution.
• Meanwhile, AEDC announced that a technical fault had disrupted electricity supply to several communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The affected areas included Kado Fish Market, Life Camp Extension, Nizamiye Hospital, Diamond Court Estate, HUS Prime Estate, Decent Creation, Mab Global Estate and Idu Karmo.