NERC (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission) says Nigeria’s grid-connected power plants had an average available capacity of 4,758 MW in August 2026.
An average of 4,102 MW was actually utilised, giving the power plants an average load factor of 86%.
Afam 2 recorded a 99% load factor, while Kainji 1 recorded 98% and Egbin 1 recorded 96%, making them some of the most heavily utilised plants during the month.
What the numbers mean
Available capacity is the amount of electricity power plants were capable of supplying to the grid during the period.
It is different from the total amount of power the plants were originally designed to generate.
The figures show that much of the generation capacity that was available in August was being used, but the total available supply remained below 5,000 MW on average.
What this means for you
High utilisation does not automatically mean households will receive constant electricity.
Power still has to move through Nigeria’s transmission network and then through electricity distribution companies before reaching homes and businesses.
Problems at any of those stages can still affect how much electricity reaches you.
