Nigeria’s electricity generation rose by 10.92% in the first quarter of 2025, driven by improved operational capacity and availability of thermal and hydropower plants supplying electricity to the grid.
This is according to the latest report from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for Q1 2025.
Total energy generated stood at 10,304.47 gigawatt-hours (GWh), compared to 9,289.95 GWh in the previous quarter.
The increase reflects stronger performance across multiple plants amid better grid dispatch conditions.
According to NERC, the average hourly generation on the grid also improved significantly, rising by 13.39% to 4,770.59 megawatt-hours per hour (MWh/h), up from 4,207.41 MWh/h in Q4 2024. This represents an increase of 563.18 MWh/h in average hourly output.
“The hourly generation and the total generation increased by +13.39% and +10.92%10 respectively in 2025/Q1 compared to 2024/Q4; the hourly generation increased from 4,207.41MWh/h generated in 2024/Q4 to 4,770.59MWh/h (+563.18MWh/h)
“While the total generation increased from 9,289.95GWh generated in 2024/Q4 to 10,304.47GWh (+1,014.52GWh) in 2025/Q1. The increase in quarterly generation is attributable to the increase in the cumulative available generation capacity of the grid-connected plants,” the report read in part.
A total of 19 power plants boosted their output during the quarter, contributing to the overall rise in generation capacity.
Thermal power plants were the main drivers of the increase in electricity generation during the first quarter of 2025. Out of the 23 thermal plants connected to the national grid, 16 recorded higher average hourly output compared to the previous quarter.
Hydropower plants also contributed to the growth, albeit on a smaller scale. The five grid-connected hydro stations posted a combined increase of 54.93 MWh/h, reflecting a 4% improvement over the previous quarter.
However, some challenges still persist. The supply of fuel to power plants, equipment reliability, and the cost of running the plants continue to significantly affect how much electricity can be reliably generated.