Power Outage Looms Amid Scheduled Power Plant Maintenance.
Electricity generation across the country is expected to decrease temporarily as scheduled maintenance on a major gas facility disrupts supply to several thermal power plants.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) announced on Thursday that Seplat Energy Plc, a joint venture partner and key gas supplier to the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC) pipeline network, has scheduled routine maintenance on its gas production facilities for February 12 to 15, 2026.
According to a statement signed by NNPC Ltd’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Andy Odeh, the four-day maintenance is part of standard safety and asset integrity protocols designed to ensure the continued reliability and efficiency of critical gas infrastructure.
The NNPC stated that the exercise would result in a temporary reduction in gas supply to the NGIC pipeline network, with some power generation companies expected to experience reduced gas availability during the period.
The company stated: “As a result, some power generation companies that rely on this supply may experience reduced gas availability, which could have a minor impact on electricity generation levels within the timeframe.”
NNPC also stated that it is working closely with Seplat Energy to ensure that the maintenance is completed on time, while its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML), is seeking alternative gas suppliers to bridge anticipated supply gaps and maintain network stability. Full gas supply is expected to resume shortly following the maintenance window.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) confirmed that it had received formal notification of the planned shutdown and warned of potential gas supply constraints affecting some major thermal power plants connected to the national grid.
In a separate statement, NISO stated that the Egbin, Azura, Sapele, and Transcorp Power Plants are all likely to be directly impacted. It added that the NDPHC Sapele, Olorunsogo, and Omotosho power plants may face indirect constraints as a result of network-wide gas balancing effects.
The operator noted that the temporary reduction in gas availability would result in a decrease in available thermal generation capacity, emphasizing the importance of careful system operation to maintain grid stability.
“In accordance with its statutory mandate, NISO will deploy appropriate real-time operational measures to safeguard the integrity and security of the national grid throughout the maintenance window,” the statement read.
It further stated that any load shedding that might be necessary would be executed in a methodical and open way in collaboration with Distribution Companies (DisCos), giving priority to security installations, vital services, and vital national infrastructure.
With a full gas supply anticipated to be restored on February 16, 2026, NISO reassured market participants and electricity consumers that the National Control Center would step up system monitoring and emergency preparation during the time.
