Nigeria’s electricity supply is again under strain, raising fears of widespread outages during the Yuletide as gas shortages begin to bite across power stations and ripple through the national grid. Gas producers have started cutting supplies to thermal plants over unpaid debts, a development that is already forcing distribution companies to reduce service levels in several parts of the country.

In the South-East, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company alerted customers on Tuesday that power availability had dropped sharply. In a statement signed by its Group Head, Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, the company linked the situation to gas constraints affecting electricity generation nationwide, which in turn triggered load shedding by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

“The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC wishes to inform electricity customers across the South-East region that the recent drop in power supply availability is due to low system frequency, occasioned by gas constraints affecting the generation companies. This development has necessitated the load shedding of available energy by the Transmission Company of Nigeria,” the statement said.

EEDC explained that the reduced generation had cut energy allocation to its network, leading to lower daily service levels for customers served by its subsidiaries, including MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand.

“As a result, this development has impacted energy allocation to EEDC and the daily service level to customers served by its subsidiary companies, namely MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand,” the company said, adding that efforts were ongoing within the power sector to resolve the challenge. “EEDC sincerely apologises for the inconvenience this situation has caused its esteemed customers and appreciates their patience and understanding.”

Similar warnings have emerged from other regions. The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company also issued a notice to customers, pointing to weak generation and poor allocation from upstream operators as the cause of ongoing load shedding.

“Dear esteemed customer, Kindly be informed that the current load shedding being experienced in all our franchise areas is a result of poor generation and allocation from the generation company and NCC,” the company said. “We appeal to our esteemed customers to exercise patience as the GenCo team is working assiduously to improve generation and allocation. All inconveniences are regretted.”

Behind the outages is a familiar problem in the gas-to-power chain. Generation companies have confirmed that gas supply constraints are limiting their operations. The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Ogaji, said gas producers had begun cutting supplies because of mounting debts owed to them.

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The situation mirrors events earlier in 2024, when gas suppliers halted deliveries to power plants for months over unpaid invoices, plunging parts of the country into prolonged darkness. Although government intervention resolved that crisis, gas producers say they have continued supplying fuel without receiving payment.

On December 4, 2025, the Federal Government announced the approval of ₦185bn to settle outstanding debts owed to gas suppliers, a move intended to ease liquidity pressures and stabilise electricity generation. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, disclosed that the approval was granted by the National Economic Council, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, according to a statement issued by his media aide, Louis Ibah.

Despite that approval, gas supply cuts have persisted, raising questions about the timing and implementation of the payments. As of the time of filing this report, Bolaji Tunji, spokesman for the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had not responded to enquiries on the issue.

Pipeline vandalism worsens grid pressure

The strain on the power system has been compounded by fresh disruptions in the gas supply network. The Nigerian Independent System Operator said electricity generation on the national grid dropped following a reported gas pipeline vandalism incident upstream, which further reduced fuel supply to gas-fired power plants.

In a statement signed by its management, NISO said the incident forced several thermal stations to operate at significantly lower output, cutting overall generation capacity and affecting electricity supply nationwide.

“The Nigerian Independent System Operator wishes to inform the general public and sector stakeholders that electricity generation on the National Grid has dropped due to gas supply constraints arising from the reported incident of gas pipeline vandalisation within the upstream gas supply network,” the operator said.

“The incident affected gas availability to several power generation facilities. Consequently, several gas-fired power stations recorded low output, which resulted in reduced available generation capacity on the national grid. In response to the situation, NISO promptly activated established contingency measures to maintain system stability and reliability.”

According to the system operator, emergency steps included increased dispatch from available hydroelectric stations, continuous re-dispatch of generation, voltage control interventions, and other operational adjustments to balance supply and demand. NISO said it was closely monitoring grid conditions, including system frequency and voltage levels, while working with stakeholders across the electricity value chain to limit the impact of the disruption.

The operator warned that the timing of the gas supply shock was particularly troubling, as electricity demand typically rises during the festive season. With power generation constrained by unpaid gas debts and infrastructure vandalism, the risk of sustained outages remains high unless liquidity issues in the gas-to-power chain are urgently resolved and supply stability restored.

Meiza Nigeria