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The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in a statement on Sunday announced improvements in Nigeria’s electricity supply, revealing that over 40 per cent of Nigerians now enjoy up to 20 hours of daily power.
According to him, this milestone, achieved within just a year, is attributed to various revolutionary measures implemented by the ministry with the backing of President Bola Tinubu.
“The major achievement is the fact that today we generate over 5,500 megawatts of power, we transmit and distribute it, and over 40 per cent of customers today enjoy over 20 hours of regular power supply across the nation. You can see that there is a significant improvement between when we came in and now, which we intend to improve further”, he said.
He noted that the ministry’s initiatives are aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to enhance industrialisation through consistent power supply.
Adelabu underscored the critical role of stable electricity in developed nations, linking it to their economic success.
“This is why we say that we must achieve this for Nigeria as a country,” he asserted.
He highlighted the ministry’s vision to provide reliable electricity to households, businesses, and institutions, thus facilitating job creation and enhancing operational capacity.
Reflecting on the ministry’s progress since the administration’s inception, he explained that the installed generation capacity has increased from 13,000 megawatts to over 14,000 megawatts.
He said that this was made possible by the addition of new hydroelectric power plants and improvements in existing facilities.
“Our installed capacity is over 14,000 megawatts of power due to the addition of the newly commissioned Zungeru hydroelectric power plant and improved capacity of some of the existing power plants,” he stated.
The minister detailed several strategic actions taken to improve the power sector, including the signing of the new Electricity Act of 2023, which decentralises and liberalises the sector.
He also highlighted the establishment of a comprehensive policy framework to enhance sector performance and market liquidity.
Adelabu pointed to infrastructure upgrades as a key factor in the progress achieved.
“The electricity that we enjoy today is not by accident. It’s because of all these transformers and mobile substations that we commissioned and installed,” he said.
Additionally, he said the ministry is working to close the meter gap by implementing the Presidential Metering Initiative, which aims to install over 10 million meters in five years.
The minister announced that the World Bank is supporting these efforts through the Distribution Recovery Program.
Looking ahead, Adelabu expressed optimism about the future of Nigeria’s electricity supply, stating that “at the end of the day, a large proportion of our population will be electrified, industries will enjoy stable electricity, and this will increase production and create employment for our people.”
