In a bold announcement on Sunday, Minister of Power Chief Adebayo Adelabu declared a significant leap in Nigeria’s electricity supply, revealing that over 40% of the population now benefits from up to 20 hours of power daily.
This achievement, reached in just one year, according to Adelabu, showcases the impact of strategic reforms implemented by the ministry under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
“The major achievement is the fact that today we generate over 5,500 megawatts of power,” Adelabu stated. “We transmit and distribute it, and over 40% 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.”
Adelabu highlighted the ministry’s initiatives, designed to align with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to drive industrial growth through reliable power supply.
He emphasized the essential role of stable electricity in fostering economic success, drawing parallels with developed nations.
“This is why we say that we must achieve this for Nigeria as a country,” he asserted, underscoring a vision for consistent electricity access to empower households and businesses alike.
Since the current administration took office, the installed generation capacity has risen from 13,000 megawatts to over 14,000 megawatts, a transformation made possible by new hydroelectric projects and enhancements to 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 explained.
Adelabu detailed a series of strategic measures aimed at revitalizing the power sector, including the recent signing of the Electricity Act of 2023, which decentralizes and liberalizes operations within the industry. He pointed to the establishment of a robust policy framework designed to boost performance and market liquidity.
“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, highlighting infrastructure upgrades as critical to the progress achieved.
Additionally, the ministry is tackling the metering deficit through the Presidential Metering Initiative, with plans to install over 10 million meters within five years. Support from the World Bank through the Distribution Recovery Program further bolsters these efforts.
Looking to the future, Adelabu expressed confidence in the trajectory of Nigeria’s electricity landscape: “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.”