Electricity supply across the country may worsen during the Yuletide as gas producers have begun cutting supply to power generation companies over unpaid debts, a development that has already reduced power generation nationwide.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the situation on Tuesday in a statement issued by its Group Head, Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, and circulated to customers across the South-East.
The company said the drop in power supply was caused by low system frequency resulting from gas constraints affecting generation companies, a situation that forced the Transmission Company of Nigeria to commence load shedding.
The statement read, “The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC wishes to inform electricity customers across the South-East region that the recent drop in power supply availability is due to low system frequency, occasioned by gas constraints affecting the generation companies. This development has necessitated the load shedding of available energy by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
“As a result, this development has impacted energy allocation to EEDC and the daily service level to customers served by its subsidiary companies, namely MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand.
“Efforts are currently being made by critical stakeholders in the electricity supply industry to address this challenge and restore normal power distribution. EEDC sincerely apologises for the inconvenience this situation has caused its esteemed customers and appreciates their patience and understanding.”
Similarly, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company said customers in its franchise areas were experiencing load shedding due to poor power generation and allocation.
The Disco stated, “Dear esteemed customer, Kindly be informed that the current load shedding being experienced in all our franchise areas is a result of poor generation and allocation from the generation company and NCC.
“We appeal to our esteemed customers to exercise patience as the GenCo team is working assiduously to improve generation and allocation. All inconveniences are regretted.”
Generation companies confirmed that gas supply constraints were affecting operations. The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Ogaji, said gas producers had started cutting supply because of debts owed to them.
Nigeria experienced prolonged power outages in the first quarter of 2024 after gas companies stopped supplying thermal power plants over unpaid bills. Although government intervention resolved the crisis, gas producers said they continued supplying gas without payment.
On December 4, 2025, the Federal Government approved N185bn to settle outstanding debts owed to gas suppliers to boost electricity generation. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, disclosed this in a statement issued by his media aide, Louis Ibah, noting that the approval was granted by the National Economic Council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Despite the approval, gas supply cuts have persisted, while the spokesman for the Minister of Power, Bolaji Tunji, did not respond to enquiries as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Independent System Operator said electricity generation on the national grid dropped following gas supply constraints caused by a reported gas pipeline vandalism incident.
It stated, “The Nigerian Independent System Operator wishes to inform the general public and sector stakeholders that electricity generation on the National Grid has dropped due to gas supply constraints arising from the reported incident of gas pipeline vandalisation within the upstream gas supply network.”