Nigeria’s electricity generation has dropped below the 4,000 megawatt mark due to persistent gas supply shortages affecting thermal power plants, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has said.

In a statement on Thursday, the system operator disclosed that total generation on the national grid stood at 3,940.53MW as of 5:00 a.m., already below expected capacity because of limited gas supply to several generating stations.

According to NISO, between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., additional generating units were forced to shut down due to inadequate gas supply, leading to a further cumulative reduction of about 292MW.

The operator revealed that thermal power plants require approximately 1,588.61 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to function optimally, but current supply stands at only 652.92 million standard cubic feet per day, roughly 40 per cent of the required volume.

The latest drop comes weeks after NISO issued a similar notice in February, when generation fell to around 4,300MW due to gas constraints, indicating a worsening situation.

Nigeria’s power generation is heavily dependent on gas-fired plants, which account for over 70 per cent of electricity supplied to the grid. However, recurring gas shortages, linked to pipeline vandalism, infrastructure gaps, liquidity challenges in the power sector, and supply disputes, have continued to limit output.

NISO said it is working closely with generation companies and gas suppliers to restore supply and stabilise the grid, adding that operational measures are being implemented to manage the reduced capacity.