The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has apologised to Nigerians over the decline in electricity supply across the country, assuring them of swift restoration of power.
In a statement issued by Adeola Adelabu, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, to the Minister of Power, Tegbe assured Nigerians that efforts were underway to restore normal electricity supply.
The statement reads: “The Federal Ministry of Power has noted the concerns of Nigerians in some parts of the country that have experienced reduced electricity supply in the past few days, especially Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo States. These are areas that had recently enjoyed noticeable improvements in power supply before the current downtimes. 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.
“Preliminary assessments show that the disruptions are not the result of any major or systemic failure of the national grid. They stem from maintenance and operational issues on parts of the power ecosystem, together with a decline in generation caused by constraints in gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced output from hydroelectric stations due to lower water inflows into reservoirs. All of these are being addressed.
“The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, is working closely with the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, the Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO, and the Distribution Companies, DisCos, to restore normal supply quickly. He has engaged them to resolve the operational constraints behind the downtime, speed up ongoing maintenance, and keep the public informed.
“The Ministry reaffirms its commitment to the progress already recorded and to improving the reliability and quality of electricity supply nationwide. Nigerians deserve better power, and this administration is working to deliver it.
“The Minister thanks the public for its patience and understanding and will provide further updates as restoration progresses,” the statement reads.
Recall that NISO had earlier attributed the decline in electricity supply to inadequate gas supply to power generation plants.