Electricity supply across Nigeria may face temporary disruption as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) confirmed a scheduled maintenance by Seplat Energy that will reduce gas supply to key thermal power plants nationwide.
In a statement issued Thursday and signed by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, NNPC disclosed that Seplat Energy, a major gas supplier into the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC) pipeline network, will carry out routine maintenance on its gas production facilities from February 12 to February 15, 2026.
The company explained that the four-day exercise is part of standard safety and asset integrity procedures aimed at sustaining the long-term reliability and efficiency of critical gas infrastructure. However, the maintenance will temporarily reduce gas supply into the NGIC pipeline network, affecting electricity generation.
“Some power generation companies reliant on this supply may experience reduced gas availability, which could modestly impact electricity generation levels within the timeframe,” the statement said.
NNPC noted that it is working closely with Seplat Energy to ensure the maintenance is completed on schedule. Meanwhile, its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML), is engaging alternative gas suppliers to cushion the supply gap and maintain network stability. Full gas supply is expected to resume immediately after the maintenance window.
Confirming the development, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) said it had received formal notification of the planned shutdown and warned of gas supply constraints affecting several major thermal power stations connected to the national grid.
According to NISO, power plants likely to be directly impacted include Egbin Power Plc, Azura Power, Sapele Power Plc and Transcorp Power Plc. It added that plants operated by Niger Delta Power Holding Company, including Sapele, Olorunsogo and Omotosho, may also experience indirect constraints due to system-wide gas balancing effects.
The system operator warned that the temporary drop in gas availability will reduce thermal generation capacity and require careful grid management to maintain stability.
NISO stated that real-time operational measures will be deployed to safeguard the national grid, adding that any load shedding, if necessary, will be carried out transparently in coordination with electricity distribution companies, with priority given to critical infrastructure, essential services and security installations.
The National Control Centre is expected to intensify monitoring and contingency planning throughout the maintenance period, while full gas supply is projected to be restored on February 16, 2026.