FG Expresses Concern Over Poor Power Supply in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Others

Blames gas issues, ongoing maintenance, cut in hydropower generation

44 of 300 stranded containers leave Apapa ports after 12 years

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government yesterday expressed concern over the declining electricity supply in some parts of the country, particularly in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo States, blaming gas constraints, ongoing maintenance and reduced generation from hydropower plants.

In a statement in Abuja by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, the government said it had noted complaints from Nigerians in the affected areas, especially those he said had recently enjoyed noticeable improvements in power supply before the current downtimes.

The statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Power, Adeola Adelabu, also acknowledged the inconvenience caused to households, businesses and public institutions.

“The ministry acknowledges the inconvenience this has caused households, businesses and public institutions, and understands the frustration of Nigerians who had begun to see the benefits of steadier supply. We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” the minister said.

According to Tegbe, preliminary assessments show the disruptions are not the result of any major or systemic failure of the national grid, but stem from maintenance and operational issues on parts of the power ecosystem.

This he said is coupled with a decline in generation caused by constraints in gas supply to thermal stations and reduced output from hydroelectric stations due to lower water inflows into reservoirs.

Tegbe noted that his office is working closely with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and Distribution Companies (Discos), to restore normal supply quickly.

“He (Tegbe) has engaged them to resolve the operational constraints behind the downtime, speed up ongoing maintenance, and keep the public informed,” the statement said.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to improving reliability and quality of supply, assuring that Nigerians deserve better power and the administration is working to deliver it, thanking the public for its patience and understanding. Tegbe added that his office will provide further updates as restoration progresses.

Corroborating the position, NISO, in a separate clarification, said the current decline in generation on the national grid is primarily attributed to constraints in gas supply to thermal power generating stations and reduced output from hydroelectric power stations.

“The limited availability of gas has constrained the capacity of affected thermal generating stations to operate at their available levels, while reduced water inflows into reservoirs have impacted the generation capacity of hydroelectric power stations,” NISO said.

NISO explained that the reduction in available generation has affected the quantum of electricity allocated to Discos for onward supply to consumers, resulting in reduced hours of supply and increased load shedding across distribution networks, with impact varying according to available generation and allocations to individual Discos.

It said while it is actively working on diversification of the energy mix for the national grid to ensure security of supply, it remains committed to maintaining grid stability, optimising dispatch of available generation and ensuring secure, reliable and efficient operation within prevailing constraints.

Meanwhile, in a development that may bring succour to consumers, power equipment idle at the nation’s ports for over a decade has begun moving towards deployment to the national grid.

The ministry stated that acting on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, it has facilitated the clearance of 44 containers from the Apapa ports out of over 300 stranded containers of electrical equipment, some held since 2014.

Tegbe stressed that following the approval after the last Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu directed the ministry to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to resolve the issues that kept the equipment at the ports and instructed the agencies to reconcile outstanding charges so the delays could end.

“The release of the first 44 containers is testimony that the collaboration is already producing results,” the mnistry said in a statement in Abuja.

Tegbe stated that after clearance, technical experts will inspect the equipment, deploy what is serviceable in ongoing power projects and dispose of the rest appropriately.

He recalled that the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) under the leadership of Jennifer Adighije, had recovered 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages, saving more than N30 billion and unlocking about 470 megawatts to the national grid through recovered turbines.

According to Tegbe, the clearance is part of a wider effort to strengthen the grid and ensure that power generated reaches more homes and industries.

He noted that with presidential backing and enhanced cooperation between the ministry of power and the Nigeria Customs Service, government was recovering equipment it has already paid for while building the capacity the country needs.