The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has attributed poor power supply experienced nationwide to lack of rainfall and low gas supply.

In a statement on Thursday, NISO said the current decline in electricity generation on the national grid was primarily attributed to constraints in gas supply to thermal power generating stations and reduced output from hydroelectric power stations.

“The limited availability of gas has constrained the capacity of affected thermal generating stations to operate at their available levels, while reduced water inflows into reservoirs have impacted the generation capacity of hydroelectric power stations,” the statement said.

It added, “Consequently, the reduction in available generation has affected the quantum of electricity allocated to Distribution Companies (DisCos) for onward supply to consumers thereby resulted in reduced hours of electricity supply and increased load shedding across distribution networks, with the level of impact varying according to available generation and the corresponding allocations to individual DisCos.”

NISO acknowledged the impact of the current generation shortfall on electricity consumers nationwide and appreciated the concerns expressed by members of the public and other stakeholders.

“While we are actively working on the diversification of our energy mix for the national grid to ensure security of supply, NISO remains committed to maintaining grid stability, optimizing the dispatch of available generation, and ensuring the secure, reliable and efficient operation of the national grid within prevailing operational constraints,” the statement said.