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EPILEPTIC POWER: Stranded generation capacity hits 2,275MW in 5 years
…As GenCos frown over 33.6% deficiency in evacuation
By Mariam Eko
Nigeria’s power supply crisis seems to be unabated as stranded electricity generation capacity rose by 1.19 per cent to 2,275 megawatts, MW, over a five-year period, highlighting persistent weaknesses in the country’s transmission infrastructure and worsening liquidity challenges across the power value chain.
Operational data obtained from electricity generating companies, GenCos, show that despite available generation capacity, a significant portion of power remains unevacuated (unutilized) due to transmission constraints, resulting in widespread load shedding and unstable electricity supply nationwide.
The data indicate that stranded generation capacity stood at 2,248.50MW in 2021, dropped to 1,816.49MW in 2022, rose to 2,226.96MW in 2023, declined slightly to 2,180.31MW in 2024, before climbing to 2,275.67MW in December 2025—the highest level recorded within the period under review.
Reacting to the development, GenCos expressed concern over what they described as a 33.60 per cent deficiency in power evacuation, attributing the shortfall largely to obsolete transmission infrastructure and limited grid capacity.
According to industry operators, the inability to evacuate generated power has not only led to revenue losses for GenCos but has also discouraged fresh investments in generation capacity, even as electricity demand continues to outstrip supply.
DisCos, TCN trade blames
Meanwhile, electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, have attributed the epileptic power supply to load limitations imposed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, which they say has forced them to implement load shedding across their networks.
The situation was worsened in December 2025 following reported vandalisation of gas pipelines supplying key power plants, resulting in reduced electricity generation during the Christmas period. The disruption plunged several homes and businesses into darkness at the height of the festive season.
Confirming the incident, the Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO, an arm of TCN, said electricity generation on the national grid dropped due to gas supply constraints caused by vandalism within the upstream gas supply network.
NISO explained that the incident affected gas availability to several power generation facilities, with several gas-fired plants recording low output, leading to reduced available generation capacity on the grid.
However, weeks after the festive season, NISO announced an improvement in generation levels following the repair of the vandalised Lagos–Escravos–Lagos gas pipeline by the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company, NGIC, and the restoration of gas supply to key thermal power plants across the country.
Despite the improvement, power supply remains unstable across many parts of the country.
When contacted by Vanguard, the Lagos Regional Operations Manager of NISO, Engr. Yusuf Gbadamosi, said there was no generation shortfall affecting supply, noting that “what is available has been fully allocated.”
Experts say problem is systemic
Power sector experts insist that the challenges go beyond gas supply disruptions, pointing instead to systemic constraints including weak transmission infrastructure, frequent grid instability, inadequate gas transportation capacity and load rejection by DisCos due to distribution network limitations.
They also identified the sector’s chronic liquidity crisis as a major factor limiting the ability of GenCos to maintain plants optimally and secure firm gas supply.
Speaking to Vanguard, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, APGC, Dr. Joy Ogaji, said GenCos are ready to generate more power but are constrained by failures in other segments of the value chain.
“Generation cannot be sustained in isolation. Without reliable gas supply, a stable transmission network, efficient distribution and full payment for electricity supplied, available capacity will continue to be stranded,” she said.
Transmission, tariffs under spotlight
On the broader reform challenges, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, CPPE, Dr. Muda Yusuf, said the power sector remains one of the most politically sensitive and technically demanding components of Nigeria’s economic reform programme.
According to him, the sector’s tightly interconnected value chain—gas, generation, transmission and distribution—means that inefficiencies in one segment quickly undermine the entire system.
He noted that the inability to implement cost-reflective electricity tariffs has worsened the sector’s liquidity crisis, forcing government to repeatedly intervene financially to prevent system collapse.
Govt intervention inevitable
Yusuf explained that government financial intervention has become inevitable in the short term, citing recent bond issuances to settle outstanding obligations to gas suppliers and GenCos as necessary to keep the electricity system afloat.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Ms. Ndidi Mbah, were unsuccessful as calls and text messages sent to her were not responded to as at press time.
The post EPILEPTIC POWER: Stranded generation capacity hits 2,275MW in 5 years appeared first on Vanguard News.
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