Power generation in Nigeria fell by 37.17 per cent to 3,885.72 megawatts (MW) on Tuesday, worsening concerns over electricity supply to homes and businesses across the country.
The decline came barely two weeks after the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, announced that generation had peaked at 5,330MW in August and September.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that the sharp drop could further reduce supply across distribution networks, forcing households and businesses to depend more heavily on generators amid rising fuel and operating costs.
The development also came as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) disclosed that electricity consumers filed 184,024 complaints against Distribution Companies (DISCOs) in the first half of 2026.
According to NERC’s second-quarter report, complaints rose marginally from 91,617 in the first quarter to 92,407 in Q2, with metering, billing and service interruptions remaining the dominant issues.
NERC said 117 of the 146 complaints lodged directly with its Customer Complaints Unit during the quarter were resolved, representing an 80.13 per cent resolution rate.
Meanwhile, Ikeja Electric attributed the reduction in electricity supply across its network to a shortfall in the amount of power allocated to it from the national grid.
In a notice to customers, the company said the reduced allocation had resulted in fewer hours of electricity supply, adding that it was engaging relevant stakeholders to improve supply.
The worsening power situation is also taking a toll on the finances of DISCOs.
NERC reported that the weighted average Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses across the 11 DISCOs stood at 36.23 per cent in Q2 2026, far above the 16.92 per cent target under the 2026 Minimum Remittance Order.
The losses comprised 21.33 per cent technical and commercial losses and 18.94 per cent collection losses, resulting in a cumulative revenue loss of N129.073 billion during the quarter.
Although the ATC&C losses declined by 1.21 percentage points from 37.44 per cent recorded in Q1, all the DISCOs reportedly missed their respective targets.
Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company recorded the highest underperformance, posting ATC&C losses of 67.70 per cent against a target of 18.18 per cent.