The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has reported a decline in the average electricity available to the national grid, dropping to 5,514 megawatts in August 2025. This represents a slight decrease from the 5,577 megawatts recorded in July. The commission disclosed this information in its latest Fact Sheet, released on Monday.
The available electricity generation capacity is significantly short of the country’s installed capacity of 13,625 megawatts, indicating a 40 percent shortfall. According to NERC’s data, the average hourly generation during the month was 4,106 megawatt-hours. This suggests that only 74 percent of the available electricity generation capacity was utilized, leaving a substantial amount of power underutilized.
Compared to July 2025, when 4,340 megawatt-hours were delivered, the data shows an increase in stranded and underutilized power. This development comes on the heels of the national grid collapse that occurred last week Wednesday, which was later restored. The fluctuation in power generation and distribution highlights the challenges faced by Nigeria’s power sector.
NERC’s Fact Sheet provides insight into the country’s electricity generation and distribution trends. The data indicates that the power sector is still grappling with issues of inefficient utilization of available capacity, resulting in stranded and underutilized power. As Nigeria continues to grapple with power shortages, the regulatory commission’s efforts to monitor and report on the sector’s performance are crucial for stakeholders and policymakers.
The decline in available electricity generation capacity and the underutilization of existing capacity underscore the need for urgent attention to address the challenges facing the power sector. The Nigerian government and relevant stakeholders must work together to develop strategies to optimize the use of available generation capacity and reduce the incidence of stranded and underutilized power. By doing so, they can help mitigate the impact of power shortages on the economy and improve the overall quality of life for citizens.
