‎Power Minister Adelabu Admits Blackout Has Deepened Hardship, Apologises to Nigerians

By Emmanuel Kwada

‎Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, on Tuesday publicly apologised to citizens over the persistent and crippling electricity outages that have plunged large parts of the country into darkness for weeks, admitting that the blackouts have significantly worsened hardship amid the intense dry-season heat.

‎Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the minister offered an unusually candid acknowledgement of the crisis, which has disrupted homes, businesses, schools, and industries across the nation. 

‎He attributed the sharp decline in power supply largely to gas supply constraints affecting thermal power plants, a situation compounded by soaring temperatures that have driven up demand for cooling.

‎“I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially now, coming from me as the Minister of Power, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship being experienced, especially during this dry season, where there is so much heat everywhere,” Adelabu said.

‎“Businesses are being affected, schools have been affected, and industries have been affected. It is not our wish to find ourselves in this situation, but it is due to some factors that are actually beyond our control.”

‎‎I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially now, coming from me as the Minister of Power, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship being experienced.

‎Recent data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator showed national grid generation dipping as low as 3,940 megawatts in early March due to severe gas shortages, far below the country’s requirements.

‎Many thermal plants have operated at reduced capacity, forcing widespread load shedding and leaving millions of Nigerians reliant on expensive diesel and petrol generators, which have further inflated living and production costs.

‎The minister, however, sought to reassure the public that the situation is not permanent. He disclosed that a dedicated committee has been set up, with renewed commitments secured from gas suppliers and timelines established for the repair of critical gas pipelines.

‎He also mentioned that facilities linked to Seplat Energy are expected to resume operations soon, boosting gas supply to power plants.

‎We won’t relent in pursuing a solution to this issue. Power generation will improve.

‎“I can tell you, with the committee that we have set up, and commitments from gas suppliers, and the timeline for repair of the gas pipelines, two weeks from now, we should start seeing improvements in supply. Two weeks,” Adelabu assured.

‎He added that the Federal Government remains committed to ramping up generation capacity, with a target of achieving 6,000 megawatts before the end of 2026.

‎“We won’t relent in pursuing a solution to this issue. Power generation will improve, transmission will improve, distribution will improve, and that 6,000 megawatts will be achieved before the end of this year, and Nigerians will be better for it,” he stated.

‎The apology comes as public frustration has mounted over the erratic supply, with many households and small businesses struggling under the double burden of heat and high generator fuel costs. Distribution companies (Discos) have similarly blamed limited gas availability as a major constraint.

‎Energy stakeholders have welcomed the minister’s direct admission and timeline for recovery, though many Nigerians remain sceptical and are watching closely to see whether tangible improvements materialise within the promised two-week window.

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