In Nigeria, widespread and prolonged power outages have been reported, primarily caused by a significant decline in gas supply to thermal power plants. According to the Nigerian Independent System Operator, the average electricity generation has drastically dropped to around 4,300 megawatts, which is well below the country's total installed capacity. The operator's assessment highlights how this shortage is critically undermining the national grid and the reliability of power supplies across the country.

The ongoing power crisis can be traced back to early February when a scheduled maintenance operation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Seplat Energy disrupted gas deliveries to various thermal power plants. This interruption has had cascading effects, sidelining many power generation units and leading to a further decrease in electricity output. The report emphasizes that fuel constraints are a key reason behind the outages threatening the businesses and daily lives of Nigerians.

As the situation continues to evolve, it raises important questions about Nigeria's energy infrastructure and the dependency on gas for electricity generation. With the current crisis underscoring vulnerabilities in the energy sector, there is an urgent need for solutions to stabilize supply chains and improve the overall reliability of power generation. This could include diversification of energy sources and enhancing the maintenance regimes for critical infrastructure to prevent future shortages and outages.