Dare Babalola
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has apologised to Nigerians for the recent wave of power outages across the country, admitting the situation has intensified hardship for homes and businesses.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Adelabu said the erratic electricity supply has become more challenging, particularly amid rising temperatures and increased demand for cooling during the dry season.
He acknowledged the toll on critical sectors, noting that businesses, schools and industries have all been affected by the disruption. The minister described the situation as unfortunate, attributing it to factors largely beyond the government’s immediate control.
Adelabu, however, expressed optimism that relief is on the way, revealing that electricity supply is expected to improve within the next two weeks. He said this projection is based on commitments from gas suppliers and ongoing repairs of key infrastructure, including gas pipelines.
According to him, the government now has clearer timelines for restoring damaged facilities, including those linked to operations by Seplat Energy, which play a vital role in supplying gas to power plants.
He also disclosed that a special committee has been established to monitor gas producers and ensure compliance with domestic supply obligations—an issue that has long hindered electricity generation in the country. Improving payment arrangements for gas suppliers, he added, would further boost supply and support the sector.
Nigeria’s power industry, which depends heavily on gas-fired plants, has continued to struggle with inadequate gas supply, ageing infrastructure, pipeline constraints and funding challenges.
Despite these issues, Adelabu said the government remains committed to reversing the trend, stressing that efforts are ongoing round the clock to stabilise the system and surpass previous performance levels.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s target of ramping up power generation to 6,000 megawatts before the end of 2026, assuring Nigerians that improvements would be seen across generation, transmission and distribution.
The minister added that beyond restoring stability, the goal is to deliver even better service than what was recorded in 2025.
