Nigeria’s electricity generation has remained stagnant at about 5,500 megawatts for months, defying repeated promises to raise output to 6,000 MW. This comes as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced the transfer of regulatory oversight of the power market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency (BYERA).
NERC disclosed the development in a statement on Monday, saying the move aligns with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023, which allow states to regulate their own power markets.
“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the statement read.
Under the order, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) is mandated to create a subsidiary to manage intrastate supply and distribution in Bayelsa. The new entity, PHED SubCo, must be incorporated within 60 days from August 21, 2025, and obtain a licence from BYERA. All transfers are expected to be completed by February 20, 2026.
Bayelsa now joins Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo, and Plateau in gaining regulatory autonomy. The state can henceforth generate, transmit, and distribute electricity, as well as license private investors in the value chain.
However, the decentralisation push contrasts sharply with stagnant national generation figures. Despite assurances from the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, that output would hit 6,000 MW before the end of 2024 and rise to 7,000 MW, generation has hovered around 5,500 MW. A brief spike to 6,003 MW in March, attributed to the Band A tariff review, was short-lived.
According to NERC’s July 2025 factsheet, Nigeria’s power plants recorded an average available capacity of 5,577 MW, far below the installed capacity of 13,625 MW. This translates to a plant availability factor of just 41 per cent — a five per cent drop from June. Average hourly generation during the month stood at 4,340 megawatt-hours per hour, while the average load factor was 78 per cent, slightly lower than in June.
The report underscores persistent underperformance by most power plants, raising concerns over the feasibility of achieving reliable electricity supply despite ongoing sector reforms.
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