Nigeria’s electricity grid operated at only 36 per cent of its installed capacity in January 2026 and experienced frequent instability, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission released its Operational Performance Factsheet on Monday.

The report showed that the country’s total installed generation capacity stands at 13,625 megawatts.

However, an average of only 4,901 megawatts was available for dispatch during the month.

This corresponds to a Plant Availability Factor of 36%.

The commission highlighted issues with the grid’s frequency, which should remain within 49.75Hz to 50.25Hz for stability.

It stated: “The average lower grid frequency (49.03Hz) and average upper grid frequency (50.66Hz) during the month exceeded the prescribed limits (49.75Hz–50.25Hz).”

Despite the low availability, the Average Load Factor reached 90%.

This meant about 4,421 megawatt-hours per hour of available power was dispatched and consumed.

The high load factor points to strong demand across the country.

At the same time, it reveals limited reserves and significant stress on the system.