ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has acknowledged worsening electricity supply disruptions affecting major parts of the country, including Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states, attributing the problems to gas shortages, ongoing maintenance challenges and reduced generation from hydropower plants.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Adeola Adelabu, Tegbe said the affected areas had recently recorded noticeable improvements in electricity supply before the latest downturn. He stressed that preliminary assessments showed the disruptions were not caused by a major or systemic failure of the national grid.
“The ministry acknowledges the inconvenience this has caused households, businesses and public institutions, and understands the frustration of Nigerians who had begun to see the benefits of steadier supply. We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” the minister said.
According to the statement, the decline stems from operational and maintenance issues across the electricity value chain, combined with constraints in gas supply to thermal power stations and lower water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs that have cut output from those plants. The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has identified the same factors as major constraints on national grid generation.
Data released for Thursday, November 5, 2026, showed that the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) received a combined allocation of 2,926 megawatts as of 4:41 p.m. Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received the highest share at 633 MW (about 21.6 percent of the total), followed by Ibadan Disco with 391 MW and Port Harcourt Disco with 320 MW. Other allocations included Benin (264 MW), Eko (256 MW), Enugu (253 MW), Ikeja (249 MW), Kano (173 MW), Kaduna (167 MW), Jos (146 MW) and Yola (74 MW). These figures reflect allocated load at a specific time and do not necessarily equal the electricity delivered to end users.
Tegbe said he is working closely with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), NISO and the DisCos to resolve the operational constraints, accelerate ongoing maintenance and restore normal supply as quickly as possible. The ministry also noted related efforts to clear stranded power equipment from ports, beginning with the release of 44 containers from Apapa, as part of broader moves to support infrastructure projects.
The outages have drawn complaints from consumers, particularly in commercial centres such as Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, where many households and businesses had started to benefit from more reliable supply in recent weeks. Nigeria’s power sector has long struggled with generation shortfalls, transmission constraints and gas supply problems despite installed capacity far exceeding what is typically delivered to the grid.
Authorities have not declared a total nationwide blackout or full system collapse in connection with the current disruptions. Restoration efforts are continuing, and the ministry has pledged to keep the public informed of progress.
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