Feb 27, 2026 (Daily Trust/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
As Nigerians continue to contend with load shedding on the national grid due to shortage of gas to power thermal power plants, four hydro power plants and one steam plant have been the major contribution of electricity on the national grid.
Analyses of daily average contribution of generation plants to the grid from February 1 to 21 showed that the five plants contributed an average of 2022.3 Megawatt (MW) of the 4497.3MW produced during the period.
This means that the five plants from the 27 plants connected to the grid produced 45 percent of the electricity used.
The plants include, Kainji (hydro), Egbin (steam), Jebba (hydro), Zungeru (hydro) And Shiroro (hydro) plants.
A breakdown on the average contribution during the three weeks showed that Kainji plant contributed the highest electricity with 546.3MW followed by Egbin plant that uses steam to generate electricity with 494.9MW and Jebba Plant with 424.7MW.
AZURA plant, that uses gas, followed with an average contribution of 395.6MW also Delta Plant that uses gas contributed an average 349.1MW and is followed by Zungeru Plant with contributing 287.1MW and Shiroro plant contributing 269.1MW.
The remaining which are majorly gas-powered plant includes; Afam plant VI that contributed 225.9MW while Okpai plant contributed 221.5MW Odukpani National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) contributed 108.3MW, Olorunsogo NIPP 107.4MW and Geregu Plant contributed 104.7MW.
Also, Trans Afam Power Plant contributed an average 100.3MW while PARAS Energy contributed 95.1MW, Geregu NIPP contributed 94.6MW and Omotosho NIPP contributed 94.6MW.
Ihovbor NIPP contributed 90.9MW while Ibom Power contributed 82.6MW. Rivers Independent Power Plant (IPP) contributed 80.9MW with Olorunsogo contributing 77.5MW and Omotosho Plant contributed 76.7MW.
Afam III Fast Power contributed 64.8MW while Omoku Plant contributed 30MW and Sapele Plant which is a steam, contributed 24.5MW7, MEPP contributed 21.5MW while DADINKOWA Plant, a hydro plant, contributed 16.8MW and Trans-Amadi Plant contributed 10.5MW.
How gas shortage led to load shedding
It would be recalled that electricity distribution companies had on February 7 blamed persistent power outages across their networks on a sharp drop in gas supply to power plants, warning customers to brace for intermittent electricity supply until the situation improves.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company said limited energy supply from the national grid had significantly reduced the power available to its franchise areas, leading to widespread outages.
In a notice to customers, the DisCo said it was keenly aware of the current low power supply and outages being experienced across its network, explaining that several locations were facing serious disruptions due to reduced grid allocation.
The company added that its technical teams were monitoring the situation in real time and stood ready to restore normal supply once energy allocation from the grid improves.
It apologised to customers for the inconvenience to homes and businesses, appealing for patience and understanding amid the constraints.
Also, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company also attributed poor electricity supply within its coverage area to a drop in national power generation caused by gas supply constraints.
GenCos raise alarm over debt accumulation
The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) had raised an alarm that electricity debt owed by the federal government would increase to N8.5trn by December if no concrete payment plan is made by the end of the year.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, the Chief Executive Officer of APGC, Dr Joy Ogaji, said the government's commitment to the sector in form of subsidy is N250bn monthly and N2.5trn annually.
She however said from this, the government is making available only 35 per cent of its payment.
She said, "One of the issues we are facing is liquidity and debt. Its implication on our operations is that the debt profile runs to N2.4trn annually and as of this moment, there is no clear financing plan other than projections and conjectures and assumptions. So, assumptions cannot buy gas for us to generate.
"The government is currently owing us a debt of N6.5trn, with a plan of only N500bn as a bond to pay, with no clear financing plan for the remainder, not to talk of the accumulating one. If we look at the growing debts, it's around N2.4trn per annum. Last year it was N2.4trn and if nothing is done, it is going to be N2.4trn this year, this will be N4.8trn when you add it to the one of December 2024 that is already N4trn, for which we had a meeting with the President in July. He promised to give the N4trn bond but then we started hearing stories that touched. So, if nothing is done, by December this year, we're looking at 8.8 trillion."
We are not beneficiaries of the current subsidy regime
Ogaji in a statement yesterday to clarify how the debt has accumulated, noted that the GenCos are not beneficiaries of the current subsidy regime but are its biggest victims.
She said, "GenCos are only requesting their receivables, which have accumulated over the years, as can be verified from the MYTO and NBET documents for power generated and consumed, but only 35% is paid, leaving a huge contagion that is not cash-backed since 2015 to date."
Explaining further, Ogaji noted that, "The Association of Power Generation Companies (GenCos) consider it necessary to clarify persistent misconceptions regarding capacity payments, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and the operational realities within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
"The issues raised go to the heart of market design, contractual sanctity, and the sustainability of power generation in Nigeria.
"Electricity is not stored at the power plants. Once it is produced, electricity leaves the generating plant, is metered, then travels at the speed of light and is consumed within a millisecond.
"In every Electricity Market, there are integral parts, and some of these parts are contained in the Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) that are major and cannot be politicised or swept under the carpet, else, a party to the agreement may be carrying a serious risk burden."
According to her, "Some of these major components of PPAs include payment for Available capacity, nominated capacity, metered energy and deemed capacity. These are major because they are among the Must-Occur events.
"Unfortunately, in Nigeria, the capacity made available has been removed from PPA consideration, disincentivising any desire to invest in recovering mechanically unavailable capacity, which can be estimated at 7,000MW of the 15,500-grid installed capacity.
"With the current commercial treatment of capacity made available, it should not be surprising that the quota attributable to the magnitude of faulty machines grows.
"Unfortunately, even the capacities nominated/declared by GenCos and confirmed by System Operators (SO) are fraught with issues.
"These nominated/declared capacities are to be held against the Generators as they form the basis for daily allocation to the Distribution Companies. These daily declarations of available and ready-to-generate capacity are commensurate with the "Net Dependable Capacity (NDC)" of the Power Plant."
The CEO stressed further that, "Ideally, the GenCo invoices. including its tested/established NDC, are issued to the off-taker (buyer) at the end of every billing period for settlement. Again, bearing the extraneous factors not within the control of the GenCos and as agreed, the NDC accounts for an equivalent energy, which is metered and invoiced for payment.
"For instance, the grid code mandates that the GenCos obey the SO's instruction to ramp down from its declared capacity to ensure grid stability. Natural justice, apart from PPA clauses, requires that GenCo be paid full for the declared available capacity as well as the energy it should have produced from that capacity, but for the deliberate restriction by the System Operator to safeguard the grid network," he said.
COMTEX_474332644/2029/2026-02-27T08:32:52
by Faruk Shuaibu
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