NNPC Disputes Gas Supply Cause of Power Crisis in Five States

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has rejected claims that gas supply problems caused the recent drop in electricity generation across Nigeria. The company said its gas transportation infrastructure remained fully available and that gas production rose by about 10% in 2026, contradicting the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), which blamed limited gas availability for falling power output.

NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC) issued the clarification in a statement dated Friday, November 6, signed by Chief Corporate Communications Officer Andy Odeh. The denial came a day after NISO attributed declining power output to limited gas availability and reduced water levels at hydroelectric facilities.

No pipeline constraints, NNPC says

NNPC said its operational records showed that its pipeline network had no constraints preventing gas from reaching power plants. It said the infrastructure was fully available to deliver gas to power stations without restrictions.

The company also pointed to an approximately 10% increase in Nigeria's gas production volumes in 2026. It attributed the rise to the Federal Government's efforts to develop and commercialise the country's gas reserves.

NNPC, however, separated pipeline availability from other stages of the gas-to-power supply chain. It said commercial supply agreements, actual volumes delivered to individual generating stations, equipment readiness, scheduled maintenance and the quantity of gas physically taken up by power plants were separate issues that required investigation.

NNPC said: "Our focus remains on dependable energy infrastructure and constructive collaboration that helps translate Nigeria's gas resources into more reliable electricity for Nigerians."

Call for joint review

The company called for a coordinated review involving gas suppliers, pipeline operators, electricity generators and NISO to establish where the actual constraints exist. It said it was ready to participate in a joint assessment and stressed that accurate data from every stage of the energy value chain was necessary before conclusions could be drawn about the source of the current difficulties.

As of the time of the statement, NISO had not responded to NNPC's clarification. The precise causes of the recent decline in electricity generation affecting five states remained unresolved.

Nigeria's electricity grid relies heavily on gas-fired power stations. Disruptions across the production, transportation or delivery chain can quickly reduce electricity generation and affect homes and businesses. Hydroelectric output can also fluctuate with seasonal changes in water levels, adding to the country's electricity supply challenges.

Other energy market signals

Separately, Nigeria's cooking gas market took a heavy hit between March and June 2026 as the Iran conflict disrupted global liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies. Demand fell by nearly 23% to 123,000 tonnes in June, the lowest level recorded in seven months, according to energy intelligence firm Argus. Argus, citing data from Nigeria's Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, said the drop was driven by weaker domestic output and tighter import conditions.

Dangote also cut petrol price to N1,215 as NNPC, MRS and other filling stations prepared new rates.