191MW Ibom Power Plant Suffered 11-month Gas Cutoff, Generation Shutdown in 2025 Over N28bn FG Debt

Nigeria's sole state-owned power generation facility, the 191-megawatt Ibom Power Plant, experienced a severe 11-month gas supply shortage and subsequent generation shutdown in 2025. This crippling disruption was largely attributed to the N28 billion debt owed by the federal government, a significant portion of the power sector's N4 trillion legacy debt accumulated between 2015 and 2024.

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This is actually our gas supply story for 2025. In fact, for the past 360 days, aggregated availability days is under 30 days. I repeat that. For the past 360 days, calendar-wise, 12 months, the aggregated supply days is less than 30 days.

Camillus Umoh, Managing Director of Ibom Power Plc, detailed the plant's struggles, highlighting how liquidity constraints, gas supply failures, and transmission bottlenecks left the facility largely idle. The plant, operational since 2010 with three General Electric turbines, relies on gas from Acugas' Uquo field. However, gas availability has been critically low, with aggregated supply days under 30 over the past 12 months, often at suboptimal levels.

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And Acugas has told us they don’t want to subject themselves to 10-year-old debts again. Our gas supply ended last month (June). And they told us going forward, if you don’t upfront pay us, we’re not going to give you gas.

Acugas has now canceled its contract, demanding upfront payment for future gas supply. "Acugas has told us they don’t want to subject themselves to 10-year-old debts again. Our gas supply ended last month (June). And they told us going forward, if you don’t upfront pay us, we’re not going to give you gas," Umoh stated. This decision follows three months of discussions.

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Now to the gas issue. I’m sure you know the power situation in the country and the N4 trillion debt. Some people say N3.3 trillion, some people say N6.3 trillion and all that.

The plant's operational history has been plagued by missed maintenance cycles, foreign exchange volatility, and financing challenges. Umoh linked the current crisis to the broader N4 trillion legacy debt within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). A meeting between the federal government and power generating companies (Gencos) is scheduled to discuss the repayment plan for 52 percent of this debt, with negotiations covering obligations dating back to 2015.

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As a matter of fact, on Tuesday, we have to be in Abuja to discuss repayment plan for 52 per cent of the N4 trillion debt that some date back to 2015. We call it legacy debt.