Nigeria’s power sector is bracing for a potential dip in generation capacity following the commencement of a scheduled four-day maintenance exercise by Seplat Energy Plc.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited issued a regulatory update on Thursday, February 12, 2026, confirming that the maintenance, which runs from February 12 to February 15, will lead to a temporary reduction in gas volumes available to the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) pipeline network.
The Impact on the Power Value Chain
Seplat Energy is a critical upstream supplier to the NGIC, which feeds several of Nigeria’s primary thermal power plants.
The Squeeze on GenCos: With a “temporary drop” in gas supply, several GenCos are expected to experience reduced feedstock availability. This directly translates to lower electricity output on the national grid during the 96-hour window.
Standard Protocols: NNPC spokesperson Andy Odeh emphasized that the maintenance is not an emergency but a “standard industry safety and asset integrity protocol” aimed at ensuring the long-term reliability of the infrastructure.
Mitigation: The Search for Alternative Supply
To prevent a total system collapse or severe load shedding, NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML) has activated its contingency framework.
Alternative Sourcing: The company is currently “engaging alternative gas suppliers” to bridge the shortfall. This strategy is critical to maintaining the minimum threshold of stability required across the domestic gas-to-power network.
The Recovery Timeline: Full supply is expected to resume by Monday, February 16, 2026.
Industry analysts suggest that the speed of recovery will depend on how quickly the NGIC pipelines can be re-pressurized once Seplat’s maintenance is completed.
