Nov 20, 2025 (Leadership/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
Nigeria's power generation remains limited to approximately 5,000 megawatts, despite a transmission capacity of 8,500 megawatts, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has confirmed.
At a media conference on the sidelines of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) Maiden Stakeholders' Engagement, in Abuja, on Wednesday, Adelabu said that while the country's transmission infrastructure has significantly improved and can wheel up to 8,500 megawatts of electricity, it is the low domestic demand and distribution challenges that continue to constrain power generation.
Adelabu announced that Nigeria successfully executed the synchronisation of its national grid with 15 West African countries, with the first test run of four hours on November 8, 2025. The feat enabled the linking of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) system, opening up new avenues for competitive energy trading, foreign exchange earnings, and increased private investment in electricity generation, as well as creating job creation opportunities.
He stated that Nigeria currently has contracts to supply 600MW to the WAPP, although only 360MW is being exported at present.
However, electricity consumer groups and stakeholders in the NESI have faulted the calculations of the power minister, saying the government should provide adequate support to bridge infrastructure gaps to ensure the value chain is adequately linked to create value addition in the system.
Briefing alongside key management officials of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), including the managing director of NISO, Abdu Mohammed, and the managing director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Dr Abdulaziz Sule, as well as executive directors of both agencies.
Adelabu and other officials emphasised that the transmission network can "comfortably and conveniently transmit" 8,500 MW, but "demand must be equal to generation and consumption at any time." This means even with available generation capacity, if consumers and businesses do not use the power, it is inefficient and uneconomical to push more electricity through the grid.
The minister also highlighted ongoing investments in the power sector, including the construction of new substations, transformers, and long-term renewable energy projects. For example, the Presidential Power Initiative (Siemens Project) is contributing to improved infrastructure and service levels.
He noted that without matching demand, growth in generation remains stifled. This gap is further exacerbated by Distribution Companies (DisCos) struggling with technical losses, energy theft, and poor payment collections, resulting in underutilisation of available power.
"We have improved grid generating capacity with the addition of 700 MW in Geregu. We also plan to add 3,000 MW of utility-scale solar power within the next 24 months," Adelabu stated.
"Though our grid can comfortably transmit 8,500 MW, we are currently generating around 5,000 MW because the demand and consumption levels in the country have not yet caught up." This situation means that Nigeria is producing less power than its transmission network can handle, reflecting issues primarily tied to limited demand and distribution inefficiencies.
Adelabu also highlighted the government's plans to continue expanding transmission capacity, targeting 10,000 MW in the near future, with complementary renewable energy projects under development, such as solar plants in northern states. However, the generation and supply system will only truly thrive when state-level regulators and DisCos increase consumption and improve distribution efficiency.
A key focus has been Nigeria's recent successful synchronisation of its national grid with the West African Power Pool. This integration links Nigeria's grid with those of neighbouring countries, such as Niger, Benin, and Togo, enabling improved resilience and potential power export opportunities.
The Minister stressed that synchronisation does not immediately increase grid capacity, but greatly enhances "stability, resilience, and reliability." Unlike a failed attempt in 2007 that lasted only seven minutes, the latest synchronisation lasted four hours with a stable grid. "This shows improved resilience, improved grid strength," Adelabu remarked.
This integration also opens new avenues for Nigeria to export power to neighbouring countries, which can help optimise the use of Nigeria's power plants and generate foreign exchange. Currently, Nigeria can export about 360 MW to its neighbours but has capacity contracts for up to 600 MW. There are plans to expand these corridor capacities soon.
The officials acknowledged challenges such as vandalism and insufficient local consumption by distribution companies (DisCos) and state regulators. Adelabu appealed for increased consumption to create a safer and more profitable market: "We are appealing even to the state regulators and distribution companies to increase consumption. That's the only way the creation of a safe market would have made an impact in the market."
He dismissed misconceptions about power exports harming local supply, emphasising that exports only happen after domestic demand is met. "We are not stabbing Nigeria," one official stated firmly, reinforcing that exports are regulated and, in addition to domestic supply.
However, reacting to the minister's statement, the president of the Nigerian Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Kola Olubiyo, said export of power is not the solution and that it cannot be empirically proven that Nigeria's unreliable grid system is resilient to take power above 6,000MW.
Olubiyo, said that no meaningful investment has been made to stabilise the fragile grid and that when this is done, the national load demand of about 10,000-20,000MW can be absorbed locally.
He said that multiple national grid collapses and daily power outages have crippled industries, disrupted manufacturing operations and raised production costs for companies who have been forced to turn to costly diesel generators to stay afloat.
In his opinion, Moshood Sanusi Yusuf, a lawyer and power sector analyst, and former assistant general managerof Regulatory Compliance. Jos Electricity Distribution (JED), while speaking with our correspondent, said, "I understand the concerns of the Minister because power cannot be stored and hence you look for alternative ways to evacuate what is generated, however I think what should have been considered first is to incentivise the distribution sector to make appropriate investment and put adequate distribution infrastructure in place'.
Yusuf, said the government should provide adequate support to bridge infrastructure gaps to ensure the value chain is adequately linked to create value addition in the system.
He opined that domestic market satisfaction should be ensured and prioritised in the first instance before considering export at the expense of internal supply chains.
LEADERSHIP reports that the World Bank's Energy Progress Report 2025 ranked the country top of the list of African countries with the worst power supply.
Small businesses, in particular, have been hit hard, with many reducing operating hours or closing temporarily.
The situation remains critical, with no immediate relief in sight, threatening both economic stability and investor confidence in the two countries.
According to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), local manufacturers spent a whopping N1.11 trillion on alternative energy sources last year, a 42.3 per cent rise from the N781.68bn recorded the previous year.
The main issues cited for poor power supply include outdated infrastructure, vandalism, poor maintenance and an overall lack of investment in generation capacity.
Olubiyo, further noted that despite electricity being the lifeblood of modern economies, keeping the lights on remains a daily struggle, forcing factories to shut down mid-production, businesses to depend on diesel generators and constantly grapple with rising energy costs that erode competitiveness and the result is stunted productivity, lost investment opportunities and a manufacturing base that struggles to reach its full potential.
He said, the generation and distribution figures being speculated are political-megawatts which is meant to make President Bola Tinubu believe the sector is doing well.
The chief executive at AntHill Concepts Limited, Dr. Emeka Okengwu, said the fact that we can only distribute about 5,000MW to local consumers highlights a persistent failure to invest in last-mile infrastructure. "Exporting power while Nigerians face daily blackouts could generate revenue, yes, but it also deepens the perception that domestic needs are not being prioritised. The government must accelerate DisCo reforms and enforce performance benchmarks before the benefits of increased transmission capacity truly reach the economy."
Reacting to the development, a financial economist at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Dr Felix Echekoba, warned that the country cannot afford to focus on export markets while industries at home remain energy-starved. "Every megawatt we fail to distribute to Nigerian factories is a megawatt of lost jobs, lost output, and lost competitiveness.
Over 40 per cent of manufacturers' operating expenses go into self-generation through diesel and gas. Until the distribution value chain is fixed, Nigeria's industrial recovery will remain constrained.
Power export plans may earn foreign exchange, but at the risk of widening the productivity gap at home.
Nigeria must first stabilise supply to its industrial clusters before becoming a net energy exporter," he said.
In his reaction, Adetayo Adegbemle, convener/executive director, Power Up Nigeria, contested the figure, saying that such a figure to be considered authentic should be coming from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Adegbemle, said the grid system is fragile and cannot withstand up to national load demand of the country.
In addition he noted that those countries being targeted for export are same countries that have been found to be vulnerable in terms of payment for electricity supply to them.
However, Adelabu, assured electricity consumers that exporting power to West African countries will not compromise supply to the domestic market.
On synchronisation, he said the feat of successful synchronisation will not affect the allocation of energy for domestic consumption.
Adelabu, however, described the synchronisation test success as a step towards the elimination of grid collapse from the industry, noting it means that there is confidence that the system is now resilient.
He described it as a landmark development in the evolution of West Africa's electricity architecture.
He confirmed that on 8th November 2025, Nigeria successfully conducted a grid synchronisation test connecting the national electricity grid with the interconnected WAPP. system.
According to him, the synchronisation test, conducted on 8 November 2025 between 05:04 a.m. and 09:04 a.m., marked the first time Nigeria operated in a unified, stable configuration with the rest of the sub-region's power networks.
He clarified that while it is not yet a permanent synchronisation, the successful test clearly demonstrates that regional technical alignment is feasible and marks a major step toward eventual full integration.
Adelabu further noted that the synchronisation exercise, conducted between 05:04 a.m. and 09:04 a.m., involved the Nigerian grid which includes Niger Republic and parts of Benin and Togo and the rest of West Africa's interconnected systems covering Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Mali.
He said for four uninterrupted hours, power flowed seamlessly across national borders, operating at a single stable frequency and proving that West Africa is now technically capable of functioning as a unified power bloc.
He said the achievement ranks among the most significant milestones in the history of WAPP.
He said the test marks the first successful large-scale synchronisation attempt since 2007, when a short-lived trial lasting only seven minutes failed.
Adelabu said Nigeria has made history with the successful synchronisation of the national grid with the West African Power Pool interconnected system.
For four unbroken hours, according to him, electricity flowed from Nigeria and Niger into the entire West African sub-region covering Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau operating at a single, stabilised frequency.
Earlier at the NISO Maiden Stakeholders' Engagement, the managing director, Engr. Abdul Mohammed said the milestone recorded with the synchronisation milestone is more than a technical success, as it positions Nigeria as a regional power hub, opens new avenues for electricity trading, unlocks foreign exchange potential, and reinforces investor confidence in the emerging Nigerian electricity market.
According to him, a resilient electricity market requires more than engineering; it requires relationships.
He said it requires trust among service providers, trust between the market and regulators, trust between the government and operators, and, above all, trust from the Nigerian people.
COMTEX_470390075/2029/2025-11-20T06:00:53
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