By Mary Onyia
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians that electricity supply will begin to improve within the next two weeks following recent widespread outages.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the minister expressed confidence in ongoing repair efforts and renewed commitments from gas suppliers. “I can tell you, with the committee that we have set up, and commitments from gas suppliers, and the timeline for repair of the gas pipelines, two weeks from now, we should start seeing improvements in supply. Two weeks,” he said.
Adelabu also issued an apology to Nigerians for the hardship caused by the prolonged blackout, acknowledging its impact on homes and businesses, especially amid the intense dry-season heat. “I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially now, coming from me as the Minister of Power, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship being experienced,” he said. “Businesses are being affected, schools have been affected, and industries have been affected. It is not our wish to find ourselves in this situation.”
The minister attributed the crisis largely to gas supply disruptions and infrastructure challenges, noting that a dedicated committee has been set up to ensure compliance with domestic supply obligations by gas producers. He added that ongoing repairs, including those involving facilities operated by Seplat Energy, are expected to restore gas flow to power plants and stabilise electricity generation.
Despite the setbacks, Adelabu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s broader targets for the power sector, including plans to ramp up generation to 6,000 megawatts before the end of 2026. “Power generation will improve, transmission will improve, distribution will improve, and that 6,000 megawatts will be achieved before the end of this year,” he said, adding that the current challenges are temporary and that authorities are working “24/7” to deliver better outcomes for Nigerians.
With additional reports from the Vanguard