Minister of Power ,Adelabu, says 40% of Nigerians Enjoying 20 Hours of Daily Electricity Supply
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, spoke through his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, that Nigerians enjoy 40% over 20 hours of electricity daily.
He made this statement on Sunday detailing a review of the Ministry of Power’s activities over the past year coinciding with Nigeria’s 64th Independence.
According to the Minister of Power these achievements are part of the government’s broader effort to provide stable electricity to households and industries across the country.
He outlined several measures undertaken by the Ministry of Power to achieve this feat. One major accomplishment is the increased power generation, now exceeding 5,500 megawatts.
Adelabu stated further that the ministry is committed to further improvements before the end of the year.
In his words, “Upon resumption, we had an installed generation capacity of 13,000 megawatts, but we were only producing, transmitting, and distributing about 4,000 megawatts of power to the entire country.
“This was quite low and unacceptable given our population and level of economic activities. Therefore, we were determined to improve the situation.”
“At that time, there was an epileptic supply. Almost all customers, both residential and commercial, could not be guaranteed 12-15 hours of supply. Additionally, the adoption of renewable energy was skeletal
At that time, there was an epileptic supply. Almost all customers, both residential and commercial, could not be guaranteed 12-15 hours of supply. Additionally, the adoption of renewable energy was skeletal in terms of solar or wind sources of energy” the Minister stated.
He attributed the success to various infrastructural upgrades, such as the completion of the Zungeru hydroelectric power plant and the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative. The minister also highlighted the signing of the new Electricity Act in June 2023, which decentralized and liberalized the power sector, allowing states and private entities to participate in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.
The Minister noted that the initiative, along with support from the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), is expected to improve the transparency and efficiency of billing.
He affirmed that the Ministry of Power remains dedicated to improving Nigeria’s electricity supply further.
