FG blames gas shortage, low water levels for outages in Lagos, Abuja and three other states

Electricity consumers in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo are facing fresh outages, and the Federal Government says gas shortages, maintenance problems and low water levels at hydropower plants are behind the drop in supply. The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said preliminary investigations found no evidence of a major systemic failure of the national grid.

The explanation comes as customers on Band A feeders, who are billed on the promise of at least 20 hours of power daily, press distribution companies for answers. Ikeja Electric has been at the centre of the complaints, issuing seven public apologies in nine days over supply failures on its network.

What the minister said

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Adeola Adelabu, Tegbe acknowledged that several affected areas had seen improvements before the latest setback. He blamed operational challenges across the electricity supply chain, inadequate gas supply to thermal stations and reduced water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs.

The minister said the government was working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the Nigerian Independent System Operator and the distribution companies to restore supply. He also acknowledged the pressure on businesses battling rising operating costs, and directed relevant agencies to speed up maintenance and give regular updates on restoration efforts.

Who got what on the grid

Latest distribution figures put the combined allocation to the 11 distribution companies at 2,926 megawatts as of 4:41 pm on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received the largest share at 633MW, about 21.6% of the total. Ibadan Disco followed with 391MW and Port Harcourt Disco got 320MW. Benin Disco was allocated 264MW, Eko Disco 256MW, Enugu Disco 253MW and Ikeja Electric 249MW. Kano received 173MW, Kaduna 167MW, Jos 146MW and Yola 74MW.

The figures show power allocated at that particular moment, not the actual hours of supply delivered to households and businesses.

44 containers cleared at Apapa

The government has also started recovering electricity equipment stranded at the ports, clearing an initial 44 containers from Apapa in Lagos. The move followed President Bola Tinubu's directive to resolve long-running disputes involving more than 300 containers, some reportedly abandoned since 2014.

The Ministry of Power worked with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Port Authority to reconcile outstanding charges and secure the release. Technical experts will inspect the equipment to determine what can still be deployed.

The clearing follows the Niger Delta Power Holding Company's recovery of 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages, an exercise that reportedly saved more than N30 billion and unlocked about 470MW of generation capacity.

There is still no word on the condition of the newly released equipment or a timetable for deployment. For now, homes and firms paying premium tariffs have no date for steadier power, which keeps pressure on diesel and generator budgets and on the cost of doing business.