By Onu Okorie

Nigeria’s grid-connected power plants utilised an average of 86 per cent of their available generation capacity in August 2026, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission ,,NERC.
The Commission’s August 2026 Operational Performance Fact Sheet showed that an average of 4,758 megawatts MW of generation capacity was available for dispatch during the month, while an average of 4,102MW was utilised.
The figures provide an assessment of the operational performance and utilisation of Nigeria’s grid-connected generating fleet during the period.
Several generating plants recorded high utilisation levels in August, with Afam_2 leading the list with a 99 per cent load factor.
Kainji_1 followed closely with a 98 per cent load factor, while Egbin_1 recorded 96 per cent. The figures indicate that the three plants operated close to their available generation capacity during the month.
NERC published the operational performance data on its X handle on Wednesday as part of its regular assessment of electricity generation and utilisation across the country’s power sector.
The data highlights the level at which available generating capacity was deployed to the national grid during the month and provides an indication of the operating performance of individual power plants.