The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has issued a public apology to Nigerians over the persistent power outages experienced across the country in recent weeks.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Adelabu acknowledged that the situation has caused significant hardship for households, businesses, schools, and industries, particularly amid the intense dry-season heat.
“I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially, as the Minister of Power, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship, especially during this dry season when there is extreme heat everywhere,” he said.
“Businesses, schools, and industries have all been affected. It is not our intention to be in this situation, but it is due to factors beyond our control.”
The apology comes amid growing public frustration over erratic electricity supply, worsened by increased demand for cooling due to rising temperatures nationwide.
Despite the current challenges, the minister assured Nigerians that improvements in power supply are expected soon.
“With the committee we have set up, commitments from gas suppliers, and the repair timeline for gas pipelines, we should begin to see improvements in supply within two weeks,” Adelabu stated.
He explained that key repairs, particularly involving facilities operated by Seplat Energy, are expected to restore gas supply to power plants.
Adelabu also disclosed that a special committee has been established to monitor compliance with domestic gas supply obligations by producers—an issue that has long affected electricity generation.
“We have a committee tracking compliance with domestic gas supply obligations to power plants. Improved payment structures will also encourage better supply,” he added.
Findings indicate that Nigeria’s power sector, which largely depends on gas-fired plants, has been severely impacted by disruptions in gas supply, pipeline maintenance issues, and financial constraints.
The minister acknowledged these structural challenges but stressed that efforts are ongoing to stabilise the sector.
“We are working around the clock to return to the progress recorded in 2025, when Nigerians commended improvements in the power sector,” he said.
Adelabu further reiterated the Federal Government’s target of increasing electricity generation to 6,000 megawatts before the end of 2026.
“Power generation, transmission, and distribution will improve. We are committed to achieving 6,000 megawatts before year-end, and Nigerians will benefit from it,” he assured.
He added that the government aims not only to restore supply but to surpass previous performance levels.
“If we delivered improvements in 2025, we are determined to do even better in 2026,” he said.
Nigeria’s electricity sector continues to face longstanding challenges, including inadequate gas supply, ageing infrastructure, transmission bottlenecks, and liquidity issues across the value chain.
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