The Federal Government has apologised to Nigerians over ongoing power outages and pledged improvements across the country in the coming days.
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, made the statement on Tuesday during a press conference highlighting his achievements over the past three years.
“I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially, for this temporary issue that is causing hardship, especially during the dry season when the heat is intense,” he said. “Businesses, schools, and industries have all been affected. It is not our wish to find ourselves in this situation, but some factors are beyond our control.”
The minister attributed the current challenges primarily to gas supply shortfalls to generation companies, exacerbated by significant debts owed to gas suppliers. He also cautioned that the ongoing war in the Middle East could further worsen the situation.
Nigeria’s power sector relies heavily on gas-fired plants, which have faced disruptions due to pipeline maintenance issues, ageing infrastructure, inadequate gas supply, and liquidity constraints.
“These issues collectively impact both the quantity and quality of gas delivered to power plants, leading to underutilisation of installed generation capacity, increased outages, and inefficiencies in power production,” Adelabu explained.
To address the challenge, he advocated for scaling up renewable energy solutions, particularly off-grid and mini-grid systems.
“Renewable energy provides a cost-effective, sustainable pathway to expand access without overburdening the national grid,” he said. Adelabu further called for the integration of additional renewable energy into the grid to diversify energy sources and reduce generation costs, particularly by lowering dependence on gas-fired power.
“Integrating utility-scale solar, hydro, and other renewables will enhance energy security and support climate objectives,” he added. “This will require investments in grid monitoring and control systems and proper system planning to manage intermittency while maintaining grid stability.”
Political ambitions remain unclear
Observers have suggested that Adelabu may be eyeing the Oyo governorship seat in the 2027 elections. Asked about his intentions, he neither confirmed nor denied the speculation.
President Bola Tinubu has set a March 31 deadline for federal appointees to resign if they plan to contest political offices. Adelabu, who still has a few days before the deadline, insisted that he remains committed to serving either at the national or subnational level.
