Nigeria’s Power Crunch Deepens as Only 38% of Capacity Available in December
Nigeria’s electricity supply challenges persisted into December 2025 as just 38 per cent of the country’s installed power generation capacity was available for dispatch, underscoring deep structural weaknesses in the power sector despite years of reform efforts.
Data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) showed that of the nation’s total installed capacity of 13,625 megawatts, an average of only 5,151 megawatts was available for dispatch during the month.
This meant that about 62 per cent of installed capacity, representing 7,047.4 megawatts, remained unavailable, and limiting the amount of electricity that could be supplied to homes and businesses.
According to NERC’s December 2025 Factsheet on the Operational Performance of Power Plants, actual power generation was even lower, with average hourly generation standing at 4,367 megawatts. The gap between installed capacity, available capacity and actual generation continues to reflect persistent constraints ranging from gas supply shortages and transmission bottlenecks to plant outages and maintenance challenges.
The report revealed a heavy concentration of generation among a few plants, with the top 10 power stations accounting for 81 per cent of total energy produced during the month. These included Egbin 1, Delta 1, Kainji 1, Zungeru 1, Afam 2, Shiroro 1, Jebba 1, Okapi 1, Ihovbor 2 and Geregu 1, highlighting the sector’s reliance on a limited number of assets to keep the national grid running.
Performance across these plants was uneven. Zungeru 1 emerged as the standout performer, operating at full capacity with 700 megawatts generated. Ihovbor 2 followed closely, producing 459 megawatts, equivalent to 99 per cent of its 491 megawatt capacity, while Jebba generated 538 megawatts, representing 93 per cent of its installed capacity of 578 megawatts. Kainji 1 produced 564 megawatts, about 74 per cent of its 760 megawatt capacity.
In contrast, other major plants significantly underperformed. Egbin, Nigeria’s largest thermal power plant, generated just 320 megawatts out of its 582 megawatt capacity, while Afam 2 delivered only 115 megawatts, a mere 18 per cent of its installed 650 megawatts, reflecting severe operational limitations.
NERC also disclosed that only 18 of the country’s 26 grid-connected power plants were operational during the period under review, further underscoring the scale of infrastructure, technical and operational challenges facing the electricity supply industry.
