Samson Echenim 
A report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for Q1 2025 says the country’s electricity generation rose by 10.92% within the period, driven by improved operational capacity and availability of thermal and hydropower plants supplying electricity to the grid.
According to the report, 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.
NERC said 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.
Some of the top-performing plants included Delta_1, which contributed the highest boost with 157.58 MWh/h, followed by Geregu_2 with 71.95 MWh/h, Egbin_1 with 68.20 MWh/h, and Afam_2, which added 68.03 MWh/h.
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.
Zungeru 1 recorded the strongest performance among them, with output rising by 23.55%. Shiroro_1 and Kainji_1 also improved, posting growth rates of 12.21% and 4.80% respectively.
The Q1 improvement reflects progress in Nigeria’s broader efforts to stabilize power supply through improved plant maintenance, better grid management, and more consistent dispatch processes across key regions.
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.
