Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nigeria's power sector recorded a total available generation of 5,403.3 megawatts on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, according to the Daily Load Allocation Table released by the National Control Centre. Out of the total generation, 4,379.07 megawatts was successfully delivered to various electricity distribution companies across the country, representing the power that actually reached the grid for onward supply to consumers.
The data reveals that Abuja DisCo received the highest load share at 700MW, representing 15.20 per cent of the allocated load under NERC guidelines. Ikeja DisCo followed with 581MW (15.01 per cent), Ibadan DisCo with 550MW (11.93 per cent), and Benin DisCo with 531MW (8.04 per cent). Other distribution companies received their respective allocations, including Eko with 519MW, Enugu with 512MW, Port Harcourt with 466MW, Kano with 161MW, Kaduna with 155MW, Jos with 134MW, and Yola with 70MW. A subtotal of 1,024.18MW was categorised under exempted loads, covering power stations and auxiliary consumption at 108.07MW, transmission losses and substation services at 367.87MW, as well as various bilateral and international supplies, including allocations to Niger Republic and local industrial consumers.
The figures place the difference between available generation and delivered power at approximately 1,024 megawatts, a gap that is accounted for by the exempted loads. That gap is not a loss in the conventional sense, but a reflection of the power that is consumed before it ever reaches the distribution companies. Power stations need electricity to run their own operations. Transmission infrastructure dissipates energy as heat as power moves across long distances. Sub-stations and auxiliary services draw power to remain operational. And Nigeria has international supply obligations to neighbouring countries like Niger. These are the hidden consumers of the national grid, and their needs are met before the DisCos receive their allocations.
The minister of power, Joseph Tegbe, has attributed the improvement in electricity supply to the restoration of the 375MW Alaoji power plant after three years offline, as well as other efforts by the Tinubu administration. He has also ruled out any immediate increase in electricity tariffs, saying the government's priority is to stabilise the power sector, restore market discipline and strengthen governance across the electricity value chain. During a briefing marking his first 100 days in office, Tegbe disclosed that the sector had recorded modest gains between June 8 and September 16, 2026. He said power generation and transmission had risen above 5,000MW in recent weeks, compared with between 3,700MW and 4,700MW before June, with a peak of 5,330MW recorded in August and September.
The minister also disclosed that the sector's diagnosis revealed that only 27 per cent of generation companies' bills were being paid, a situation that undermines their capacity to maintain plants and meet obligations to gas suppliers. On transmission, he said the national grid was constrained by vandalised towers and lines, overstretched equipment and frequent tripping. The distribution segment, he added, continued to contend with aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses of between 30 and 40 per cent, with inadequate metering, estimated billing, damaged distribution assets and weak payment discipline among the major challenges. He cited the upgrade of substations at Apapa, Ijora, Alausa and Lekki in Lagos, which unlocked 672MW, as well as the installation of a new 300MVA transformer at Katampe, Abuja, which unlocked an additional 240MW.
The National Control Centre's data shows that Nigeria's power generation has consistently hovered above 5,000MW in recent weeks, a marked improvement from the 3,700MW to 4,700MW range that prevailed before June 2026. However, the gap between generation and delivery remains a persistent challenge. The 1,024.18MW categorised as exempted loads represents the infrastructure and operational costs of moving power from generation points to distribution companies. It also represents the limits of a transmission network that the minister himself acknowledged is constrained by ageing equipment and vandalism. For the millions of Nigerians who still experience erratic power supply, the peak generation figures are a source of cautious optimism, but they are also a reminder that generation is only one part of a complex equation that must work seamlessly for electricity to reach homes, businesses, hospitals and schools.
The Federal Government has said the next six months will focus on deepening grid stabilisation along the Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridors. It has also committed to developing a transmission super grid, strengthening links between electricity supply and productive clusters through bilateral agreements, and preparing infrastructure for future demand, including power from the Mambilla hydro project. For now, the data from the National Control Centre provides a snapshot of a sector that is generating more power than it has in recent months, but is still grappling with the structural and logistical challenges that prevent that power from reaching every Nigerian who needs it.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments