The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has clarified that it has not issued any directive to halt gas supply to generating companies (GenCos).
In a statement released on Wednesday, the agency responded to reports suggesting that it had ordered gas producers to suspend gas supply to GenCos over unpaid debts exceeding N2 trillion. The NMDPRA described the claims as “false and completely unfounded.”
The statement clarified, “The attention of the NMDPRA has been drawn to a news report falsely claiming that the authority directed a halt in gas supply to power generating companies (GenCos) and instructed wholesale gas suppliers to cease further supply due to payment failures. This report is entirely baseless.”
The agency explained that it had no involvement in the information discussed at a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, which was attended by the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), and other oil and gas sector stakeholders. The purpose of the meeting was to educate stakeholders on the implementation of the wholesale supply license under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, specifically sections 142 and 197.
NMDPRA reassured the public and its stakeholders, emphasizing that no such statement regarding halting gas supply had been made at the meeting or elsewhere