Nigerians will face a persistent blackout as gas suppliers…

Nigerians face a worsening epileptic energy supply as electricity generation companies said gas suppliers threatened to cut off supply over a $3.3 trillion debt.

Dr Joy Ogaji, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, revealed this during an interview on Fresh FM.

Ogaji attributed the power outage Nigerians have been grappling with for months to debt owed to gas suppliers.

According to her, the country, which currently depends on the supply of gas-fired thermal power plants that can generate only 3,334 megawatts of electricity into the national grid, suffers from gas shortages.

Speaking about the accumulated debts the federal government owes to Gencos, Ogaji said they have grown to $6.8 trillion as of the end of February 2026.

“The gas is not available because the gas suppliers have told us that if we need gas, we have to put the money on the spot to get the gas into the pipelines. We owe them a lot of money.

“From 2015 to December 2024, the debt profile has grown to N4 trillion. In every month of 2025, there is a deficit of N200 billion, so if you calculate N200 billion times 12, that is N2.4 trillion, making the entire debt N6.4 trillion after December 2025. We are already in March 2026. The debt has grown to N6.6 trillion in January and N6.8 trillion in February.

“Yes, it is 120% correct to say that debt is the reason we are in the dark,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Energy, Adebayo Adelabu, who is busy with his governorship ambitions in Oyo State, said the matter has been addressed.

However, Nigerians are yet to see an improvement in energy supply.

Hii spokesperson Bolaji Tunji quoted Adelabu as saying that the matter was being handled in collaboration with the Minister of State for Oil (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.

“The matter is being handled jointly with the Minister of State for Oil (Gas),” Tunji said in a brief message.

Reports say that since December last year, Nigerians have been battling with epileptic eating.

The hardship caused by the blackout was compounded by the price of fuel and diesel soaring to over 1,100 and 1,600 naira per liter respectively, after the Dangote refinery increased its price following the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, which pushed up crude oil prices.

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