Minister Adelabu Issues Public Apology for Power Outages, Vows Recovery in 14 Days
In a significant address, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has extended a formal apology to Nigerians for the severe and ongoing power outages that have plagued the nation over the past month. The apology was delivered during a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday, as public frustration mounts over erratic electricity supply, exacerbated by soaring dry-season temperatures that have spiked demand for cooling.
Direct Acknowledgement of Hardship
Adelabu openly admitted that the blackouts have inflicted widespread hardship, affecting homes, businesses, schools, and industries. "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," he stated. He emphasized that the situation was not intentional but resulted from factors largely beyond immediate control.
Timeline for Improvement and Gas Supply Issues
Despite the current challenges, the minister provided a clear timeline for recovery, assuring that improvements in power supply should be visible within two weeks. "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 affirmed. He highlighted that the government has insights into the completion of key repairs, particularly those involving facilities operated by Seplat Energy, which are expected to restore gas flow to power plants.
Committee Formed to Monitor Compliance
To address long-standing issues with gas supply, a special committee has been established to track compliance with domestic gas supply obligations by producers. "We already have a committee that is working on this to track compliance with the domestic supply obligations of these gas companies to our power plants," Adelabu explained. He added that enhanced payment flows to gas suppliers would further incentivize supply, aiming to mitigate disruptions that have constrained electricity generation.
Structural Challenges and Future Plans
Nigeria's power sector, heavily reliant on gas-fired plants, has faced significant disruptions due to gas supply issues, compounded by pipeline maintenance challenges and liquidity constraints. Adelabu acknowledged these structural problems, noting that while not entirely within the government's control, efforts are underway to stabilize the system. "We are working on it 24/7 to make sure that we go back to the trajectory of 2025, when Nigerians commended us for a good job well done," he said. Additionally, he reiterated the Federal Government's commitment to increasing electricity generation to 6,000 megawatts by the end of 2026, framing the current outages as a temporary setback in a broader improvement strategy.
