Minister apologises to Nigerians over poor power supply

Adelabu

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has apologised to Nigerians over the prolonged and severe electricity outages recorded in recent weeks, acknowledging the strain the situation has placed on households and key sectors of the economy.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister admitted that the ongoing blackout has worsened living conditions, particularly during the intense dry-season heat.

“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.”

Despite the disruptions, Adelabu assured citizens that the situation would soon improve, offering a clear timeline for restoration of better power supply.

“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 said.

He explained that authorities already have projections for the completion of critical repairs, including those involving facilities operated by Seplat Energy, which are expected to restore gas supply to electricity-generating plants.

According to the minister, a dedicated committee has been set up to ensure gas producers meet their domestic supply commitments—an issue that has long limited power generation in the country.

“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,” he said, noting that improved payment structures would also encourage suppliers to deliver more gas.