Dare Babalola
Adebayo Olowoniyi, the Chief Technical Adviser to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that the persistent power supply challenges across Nigeria are not directly the fault of the minister, but are largely due to technical disruptions in gas supply.
Olowoniyi made this clarification on Thursday during an appearance on Arise TV, coming shortly after Adelabu issued a public apology to Nigerians over the worsening electricity outages that have affected homes, businesses, and industries nationwide.
Defending the minister’s apology, Olowoniyi described it as a demonstration of responsibility and leadership.
“The apology from the Honourable Minister is about taking leadership in the sector. Not necessarily that it is directly his fault, but as the Minister of Power, he believes it is the right step to take ownership and drive solutions,” he said.
He explained that the current electricity shortfall stems from maintenance work on a major gas pipeline supplying fuel to power plants, noting that Nigeria’s power generation is heavily dependent on gas.
“About 75 per cent of our electricity generation depends on gas. When there is a disruption in gas supply, it naturally affects the entire power value chain,” Olowoniyi stated.
According to him, the ongoing maintenance on the critical pipeline is nearing completion, raising hopes for improved supply in the near term.
“One of the major gas pipelines in Nigeria was undergoing maintenance, and that process is gradually being completed. We expect that within the next two weeks, full gas pressure will be restored,” he said.
Olowoniyi added that early signs of recovery are already being observed as supply begins to stabilise.
“From yesterday, we have started to see gradual improvement as pressure builds on the pipeline. This will continue steadily over the next couple of weeks,” he noted.
The development aligns with earlier assurances by Adelabu, who said coordinated efforts with stakeholders and gas suppliers are ongoing to resolve the constraints affecting generation.
“With the commitments we have from gas suppliers and the repair timelines, we should begin to see improvements in power supply within two weeks,” Adelabu had said.
Despite the ongoing challenges, officials insist the situation is temporary, expressing confidence that sustained interventions will restore stability to electricity supply across the country.
