Nigeria’s grid-connected power plants operated at just 31 per cent of their installed capacity in April 2026, with average available generation standing at 4,286 megawatts (MW) out of a total installed capacity of 13,625MW.
This is the key highlight of the latest operational performance factsheet published by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Friday.
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The report also showed that while available generation improved slightly by 5 per cent compared to March, persistent voltage and frequency instability continued to undermine grid reliability, with both parameters exceeding prescribed operational limits during the month.
NERC disclosed that the 28 grid-connected plants captured in the report recorded an average hourly generation of 4,048 megawatt-hours per hour (MWh/h), representing a load factor of 94 per cent.
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The regulator explained that this means 94 per cent of the available generation capacity was utilised during the review period, indicating relatively strong dispatch performance despite low plant availability.
“The grid-connected plants recorded a Plant Availability Factor (PAF) of 31 per cent. This means that an average of 4,286MW was available for dispatch out of the 13,625MW installed capacity of the 28 plants reported in this factsheet,” the commission stated.
Grid voltage exceeds prescribed limits
Regarding grid stability, NERC reported that the monthly average lower grid voltage was 302.60 kilovolts (kV), while the average upper grid voltage was 353.40kV.
Both figures breached the prescribed operational range of 313.50kV to 346.50kV.
This indicates continued instability in voltage management across the national grid and raises concerns over the quality and reliability of electricity supply to consumers and industrial users.
Similarly, the report showed that system frequency also exceeded allowable thresholds.
The average lower grid frequency was recorded at 49.20 hertz (Hz), while the upper frequency reached 50.76Hz, outside the permissible range of 49.75Hz to 50.25Hz.
Frequency excursions are often associated with sudden imbalances between electricity generation and demand and can trigger widespread system disturbances, including partial or total grid collapse.
Top 10 plants generated 81% of the total energy
NERC said the top 10 energy-producing plants accounted for 81 per cent of the total electricity generated during April.
Hydropower and major gas-fired plants dominated the list, led by Egbin, Kainji, Jebba, Ihovbor, Delta, Shiroro, and Afam.
Egbin emerged as the largest contributor, with 557MW available out of its 1,320MW installed capacity, translating to a 42 per cent plant availability factor and a 93 per cent load factor, with average hourly generation of 520MWh/h.
Kainji recorded 473MW available from 760MW installed, representing 62 per cent availability and a 97 per cent load factor, while Jebba posted 393MW from 578MW installed capacity, with 68 per cent availability and a 95 per cent load factor.
Ihovbor 2 recorded the strongest plant availability among the top producers, operating at 100 per cent availability with 459MW available out of 461MW installed capacity and a 93 per cent load factor.
Zungeru also maintained a high load factor of 99 per cent despite operating at 43 per cent plant availability, while Afam 2 achieved a 100 per cent load factor with 41 per cent availability.
Other major contributors included Delta 1, Shiroro 1, Okpai 1 and Odukpani 1.
Underutilised plants
The report also highlighted significant underperformance among several other grid-connected plants.
Olorunsogo 2, with an installed capacity of 750MW, had only 33MW available for dispatch, reflecting a plant availability factor of just four per cent despite a load factor of 97 per cent.
Afam 1 posted an eight per cent availability, while Sapele Steam 1 recorded only one per cent and generated virtually no energy.
Alaoji 1, Ibom Power 1 and Rivers 1 recorded zero plant availability, indicating complete non-performance during the month.
Sapele 2 and Geregu 1 also posted very weak operational figures, with plant availability factors of 10 per cent and two per cent, respectively.
By contrast, Ikeja 1 achieved 100 per cent availability at 110MW installed capacity, while Olorunsogo 1 and Omatosho 1 posted higher load factors of 100 per cent.
Persistent structural challenge
The April data reinforce the longstanding structural challenge in Nigeria’s electricity sector, where installed generation capacity remains significantly higher than the available and dispatchable power.
Despite investments in generation infrastructure over the years, low plant availability, gas supply constraints, maintenance challenges, transmission bottlenecks and weak grid stability continue to limit effective electricity delivery across Nigeria.
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The latest figures suggest that while dispatch efficiency improved, the country still relies heavily on a small cluster of high-performing plants, leaving the national grid vulnerable to disruptions whenever major generation units experience failures.
The persistent breach of voltage and frequency limits also points to broader operational weaknesses within the transmission network, further complicating efforts to improve electricity supply across the country.
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