Gas pipelines not to blame for electricity shortfall, NNPC insists

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company has rejected suggestions that its gas transportation network is responsible for the decline in electricity generation, saying operational records show no constraints. Responding to the system operator’s claim of limited gas availability, the company said gas production had grown by about 10 percent this year. It urged a joint review of the gas-to-power chain, as Power Minister Joseph Tegbe promised some generating units would return within 48 to 72 hours.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has said its gas transportation network has no operational constraints responsible for the recent decline in electricity generation, TheCable reports.

In a statement on Friday, the company’s chief corporate communications officer, Andy Odeh, said the network operated by its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC), remains available to support gas deliveries to power stations nationwide.

“NGIC’s operational records do not indicate transportation-related constraints within its network that explain the current decline in electricity generation,” Odeh said.

The clarification followed a November 5 statement by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), which attributed the lower generation partly to limited gas availability and reduced water inflows into hydroelectric stations.

NNPC said gas production had grown by about 10 percent year-to-date in 2026, adding that supply availability “is therefore not a challenge.”

It called for a coordinated review by gas suppliers, transporters, power generators and NISO, covering generating units’ readiness, maintenance schedules and actual gas offtake.

Power Minister Joseph Tegbe earlier blamed maintenance at Egbin Power Station, gas supply constraints and sabotaged transmission lines for outages in four states, including Lagos and the FCT.