Billions Wasted! National Grid Suffers Massive 4,091MWh/h Power Loss Despite Heavy Funding

Nigeria’s national power grid recorded a shortfall of 4,091 megawatt-hours per hour (MWh/h) in September 2025, despite decades of substantial investments in the country’s electricity sector.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This was revealed in the September 2025 Operational Performance Factsheet released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Thursday.

According to the report, plant availability remains critically low, with the Plant Availability Factor (PAF) standing at just 38 percent. On average, 5,200 MW was available for dispatch out of an installed capacity of 13,625 MW. Meanwhile, the Average Load Factor was 78 percent, signifying that 4,091 MWh/h of available generation capacity was actually utilized.

The report identified Zungeru, Egbin, Kainji, and Jebba as the top-performing power plants during the review period.

In response to the sector’s performance challenges, the Federal Government has finalized the implementation framework for the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Plan.

Approved by President Bola Tinubu and endorsed by the Federal Executive Council in August, the plan authorizes the issuance of ₦4 trillion in government-backed bonds to settle verified debts owed to generation companies (GenCos) and gas suppliers.

The government explained that the intervention aims to restore financial stability and investor confidence in Nigeria’s struggling power market.

Reacting to the move, Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Transcorp Power, described the initiative as “a long-overdue corrective measure.”

“This intervention tackles the legacy debt overhang that has stifled investments, weakened utility balance sheets, and undermined reliable power supply nationwide. For the first time in years, we are witnessing a credible and systematic effort by the government to resolve the root liquidity issues in the power sector. We commend President Tinubu and his economic team for this bold and transformative step,” Elumelu stated.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen, noted that the reforms are aimed at placing the sector on a sustainable and investor-friendly path.

“Our priority is to create the right investment climate — from grid modernization and distribution improvement to scaling embedded generation. By closing metering gaps, aligning tariffs with efficient costs, improving subsidy targeting, and restoring regulatory trust, we are moving from crisis management to long-term stability. This is essential to attract large-scale private capital and ensure sustained power delivery,” she added.