Power outage: NNPCL, grid operator trade blame while Nigerians sleep in darkness

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, NNPCL, has pushed back against claims that a lack of gas was responsible for the electricity generation shortfall in the country.

The NNPCL said its pipeline system is free and ready to carry gas to power stations across Nigeria, stating that there is no blockage in the network that can explain why power output dropped.

In a statement, the NNPCL said the gas transport network run by its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Ltd, NGIC, is working and can deliver gas to power plants nationwide without any problem.

According to the company, the daily records of NGIC do not show any transport failure that led to the fall in generation.

The statement puts NNPC on a direct collision course with the Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO.

Recall that on November 5, NISO had blamed the lower power generation on poor gas supply and low water levels at hydro power stations.

In response, the NNPCL disagreed with that position, saying the gas production in the country has gone up by about 10 percent since the start of 2026.

It linked the rise to the plan of the Federal Government to grow and make money from Nigeria’s gas resources.

“Our focus remains on dependable energy infrastructure and constructive collaboration that helps translate Nigeria’s gas resources into more reliable electricity for Nigerians,” the company said.