Nigerians have been advised to brace for an extensive period of poor supply as there’s no end in sight to the issues plaguing the sector.
According to media reports, Nigeria’s current poor supply could worsen as the gas shortage issues affecting the operation of Thermal power plants rage on. According to a post shared by the National Grid page on X, Nigerians should brace for a further blackout as gas suppliers have now halted services to power-generating companies over the rising debt.
According to Dr. Joy Ogaji, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, the debt owed by the power-generating companies to gas suppliers currently stands at 3.3 billion naira. This crippling debt was blamed for the supply shortage that has resulted in a drop in power supply nationwide, and it’s now expected to lead to the collapse of operations.
Since the turn of the new year, power supply around the country has greatly deteriorated after a drop in water levels due to a lack of rainfall, which reduced the operating capacity of hydropower plants. Thermo plants are also struggling to generate enough power to cater to the consumers due to gas shortage.
The worsening situations led to recent protests around the country, with youths in Osogbo, Osun state capital, marching to the office of Ibadan Electric Distribution Company to demand answers. Similarly, the governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebolo, led a protest to the office of Benin Electric Distribution Company over the poor power supply in the state.
On March 12, 2026, Youth around Lagos also took to the streets to protest the poor power supply in the state.
In light of the situation, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, pleaded for patience. While speaking at a recent event, Adelabu stated that Nigerians will soon begin to see the “laudable plans President Tinubu has for the power sector”.
However, patience is a scarce commodity among Nigerians who are now being forced to buy fuel at record prices at over 1,200 per litre amidst the abysmal power supply.
In recent weeks, the 2023 clips of President Tinubu telling Nigerians not to re-elect him if he fails to provide a 24-hour power supply have resurfaced online. Former staunch Tinubu critic turned praise singer, Reno Omokri, told Channels TV that the President’s promise of a 24-hour power supply was made in ignorance.
