The Federal Government has apologised to Nigerians over the persistent power outage across the country, as electricity supply dropped below 3,000 megawatts, worsening living conditions and disrupting businesses and industries.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, offered the apology on Tuesday in Abuja while presenting the “Performance Report on the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) 2023–2025.”
Addressing the ongoing nationwide blackout, Adelabu said the situation was temporary and assured citizens that efforts were underway to restore stability in the sector.
According to him, the report assessed progress across power generation, transmission and distribution since 2023, noting that the sector had recorded improvements driven by policy reforms, targeted investments and institutional strengthening.
He explained that financial interventions were being implemented, including a N4 trillion debt restructuring plan aimed at clearing outstanding subsidies owed to power generation companies. Out of the amount, N509 billion has already been raised through the bond market and is being disbursed to beneficiaries.
Adelabu said the move would encourage both power generation and gas supply companies, while recent tariff reforms have also helped to improve revenue within the sector.
Despite the current nationwide blackout, the minister highlighted achievements recorded since 2023, including an increase in power generation to over 6,000 megawatts. He attributed this to the addition of the 700MW Zungeru Hydropower Plant and the rehabilitation of some thermal power facilities.
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The minister, however, stressed the need for better coordination among key ministries, including Power, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Water Resources and Environment, to address recurring outages.
He linked the current drop in supply partly to gas shortages affecting generation companies, noting that global factors, including the Middle East crisis, have put pressure on gas availability.
Adelabu explained that gas suppliers often prefer export markets where prices are higher, while domestic power plants struggle with payment issues, receiving only about 35 to 40 per cent of what is owed.
He added that most power plants lack firm gas supply agreements, which has further weakened electricity generation.
Reassuring Nigerians, Adelabu said the government was working round the clock to reverse the trend and improve supply in the coming weeks.
He maintained that achieving stable electricity remains a gradual process but insisted that 24-hour power supply is possible.
The minister expressed optimism that the country would return to improved performance levels recorded previously, adding that ongoing efforts would soon ease the hardship caused by the nationwide blackout.