The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has affirmed the Nigerian government’s commitment to providing a 24-hour power supply for its citizens.
Adelabu made this statement on Thursday during the 4th annual workshop of the Power Correspondents Association of Nigeria held in Abuja. He was represented by Sunday Owolabi, the Director of Renewable Energy, who emphasized that government policies are aimed at resolving the challenges in the country’s electricity transmission, distribution, and generation sectors.
“We are fully dedicated to transforming the power sector in Nigeria. Our focus is on implementing practical and sustainable policies. We are determined to ensure that every Nigerian has access to reliable power supply,” he stated.
This announcement coincides with remarks from Edu Okeke, Managing Director of Azura-Independent Power Plant, who highlighted the necessity of private sector investment to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria’s power sector. Okeke noted that each electricity distribution company in the country should invest a minimum of $500 million for meaningful change to occur.
He remarked, “Without private sector investment, we will not witness any transformation in Nigeria’s power sector.”
Okeke’s comments align with Adelabu’s recent assertion that Nigeria requires $10 billion in private sector investment to secure a 24-hour power supply.
During the workshop, Obas Esiedesa, Chairman of PCAN, expressed concerns over the frequent collapses of the national grid and the recent increase in electricity tariffs.
“Persistent issues with grid reliability and ongoing challenges in the national grid system, even after 11 years of privatization, remind us too much of the pre-privatization era. Our worries are compounded by the fact that these problems continue despite the service-based tariff and the increased rates for Band A customers,” he noted.
Esiedesa commended the government’s efforts to address the power sector’s challenges, particularly with the implementation of the 2023 Electricity Act.
DAILY POST reports that the National Grid has collapsed at least twelve times in recent months, leaving the country in darkness. Additionally, there has been a rise in vandalism of facilities belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). On Wednesday, TCN reported that armed vandals had damaged a power transformer radiator at the Obajana Transmission Substation. This incident occurred while parts of Northern Nigeria continue to experience power outages due to vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
