Power Generation Stagnates at 5,500MW as Bayelsa Gains Regulatory Authority
Nigeria’s power grid continues to struggle, hovering around 5,500 megawatts (MW), despite efforts to raise supply to 6,000 MW. This comes as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency (BYERA).
The move, announced on NERC’s social media, complies with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023. Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) was directed to incorporate a subsidiary to handle intrastate electricity supply and distribution in Bayelsa.
PHED SubCo is expected to secure a licence from BYERA and complete the transfer process by February 20, 2026. With this, Bayelsa joins states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo, and Plateau, which now have regulatory autonomy.
Despite promises of stable power, generation has remained below expectations. Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu had aimed to raise output to 6,000 MW by the end of 2024, with a temporary peak of 6,003 MW in March 2025 following tariff adjustments.
NERC reports that July 2025 saw an average available capacity of 5,577 MW from an installed capacity of 13,625 MW a 41% plant availability factor. Some major plants, including Egbin, Delta, and Kainji, operated at around 47–54% capacity, while others like Odukpani, Zungeru, and Afam 2 recorded availability below 35%.
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) CEO Jennifer Adighije noted that strategic interventions have restored 625 MW to the national grid by recovering idle turbines and securing gas supply. Advocacy groups, however, stress that state regulatory autonomy will take time to yield results and call for stronger policy leadership in the sector.
