TCN Rejects ‘Stranded Power’ Claims, Says Generation Not Grid Is Nigeria’s Biggest Challenge
Nigeria’s electricity crisis is rooted more in inadequate power generation than transmission limitations, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has argued, pushing back against claims that thousands of megawatts of electricity are wasted daily because the national grid cannot evacuate them.
In a statement, TCN challenged recent claims by the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), insisting that data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) First Quarter 2026 report shows the average generation capacity made available by power plants was about 4,458MW, far below the company’s verified transmission wheeling capacity of 8,700MW.
The company said the grid has already demonstrated its ability to transmit more than 5,800MW without incident, arguing that this disproves assertions that it is limited to wheeling only 4,500MW.
It added that recent investments in transformers, substations and transmission lines have further strengthened the network.
According to TCN, NERC’s data indicates that poor plant availability, gas supply shortages, hydropower constraints and maintenance outages remain the primary reasons for Nigeria’s electricity shortfall rather than transmission bottlenecks.
The company called on industry stakeholders to base public discourse on verified regulatory data to ensure solutions target the actual challenges within the power sector.
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