Nigeria is on the brink of a major power outage as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has ordered gas producers to stop supplying gas to power generation companies (GenCos). This decision comes in response to the large debts owed by these companies.

According to NMDPRA, the debts have created financial difficulties for gas producers, preventing them from continuing their operations. The authority has called on gas buyers, especially power generation companies, to pay for the gas they receive on time to avoid disruptions.

At the moment, the federal government and several GenCos owe gas producers a total of over N2 trillion in unpaid debts. If the debts are not cleared soon, Nigeria could face a nationwide electricity blackout.