The Ministry of Power has addressed concerns over a statement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) on gas supply, saying it does not contradict the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe's, comments on the cause of current power outages. According to Adeola Adelabu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Power, Tegbe's statement clearly mentioned planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Station and constraints in gas supply to some thermal stations as reasons for reduced electricity on the national grid.
Tegbe's update on the power situation, issued on November 6, cited constraints in gas supply to some thermal stations, scheduled maintenance at Egbin, and sabotage of transmission lines as causes of outages in households and businesses in four states, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory. He also mentioned that grid operators had introduced load shedding in some areas to manage the shortfall. The Minister stated that the first generating units would return to service within 48 to 72 hours, in phases, and that the ministry was working with operators to improve gas supply and speed up repairs to damaged infrastructure.
NNPC, in a statement signed by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited, recorded no transportation-related constraints. The company stated that its gas transportation network remains available to deliver gas to power stations nationwide without constraints. NNPC also noted that gas production had grown by about 10 per cent year to date in 2026.
The clarification by the Ministry of Power followed NNPC's statement on November 6, which said gas supply "is therefore not a challenge." NNPC's statement also mentioned that gas production, commercial supply arrangements, and actual deliveries to individual plants must be assessed separately from the availability of transport infrastructure. The company called for a joint review of operational data by gas suppliers, transporters, generators, and the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).
According to Adeola Adelabu, the Minister's statement and NNPC's statement do not contradict each other. He emphasized that the Minister's statement clearly mentioned "planned maintenance" at Egbin and "constraints" in gas supply to some thermal stations, which NNPC's statement does not dispute. Adelabu's clarification aimed to address concerns over the seeming discrepancy between the two statements.
The power outages have affected households and businesses in several states, with Lagos being one of the most impacted. The Ministry of Power is working with operators to improve gas supply and speed up repairs to damaged infrastructure. The Minister's statement also highlighted the issue of sabotage of key transmission lines, which has restricted the use of alternative routes to supply some locations.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) had cited limited gas availability and reduced water inflows to hydroelectric stations as causes of lower generation in a statement on November 5. NNPC's statement also referenced NISO's comments, emphasizing the need for a joint review of operational data to address the challenges facing the power sector.
Key points
- The Ministry of Power has clarified that NNPC's statement on gas supply does not contradict Minister Joseph Tegbe's explanation for current power outages.
- The power outages have been caused by a combination of factors, including planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Station, constraints in gas supply to some thermal stations, and sabotage of transmission lines.
- The Ministry of Power is working with operators to improve gas supply and speed up repairs to damaged infrastructure.
