Power minister apologises to Nigerians over power cuts, promises better supply

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has said sorry to Nigerians for the recent power cuts, especially in Lagos and other affected states. He assured residents that the government is working hard to improve electricity supply.

Mr Tegbe mentioned that the president also understands the worries of Nigerians about the unreliable power supply. He added that the government is doing everything it can to fix the issues.

He spoke during an interview on TVC’s The Morning Brief. He explained what caused the recent power cuts and shared plans to stabilise electricity supply.

The minister clarified that the recent power cuts were not due to a national grid collapse. Instead, it was a drop in power supply because of planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Plant and the vandalism of a transmission line serving Lagos.

He noted that the vandalised line is a 330-kilovolt line that supplies the Lagos electricity complex with between 300 and 400 megawatts. He added that the disruption at Egbin led to a loss of nearly 800 megawatts. This forced the authorities to introduce load shedding across Lagos, Ogun, and parts of Kwara State.

Mr Tegbe said he took action as soon as he learned about the situation. “Nigerians deserve to have electricity. It is not a big deal, and it is not rocket science,” he said.

He admitted that much of Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure is old, but he said the government has made progress in restoring supply. He had earlier promised Nigerians that the disruption would be fixed within 48 to 72 hours. He added that they have made significant progress towards that promise.

As of the previous night and Monday morning, the Lagos electricity complex was getting about 1,000 megawatts. He also said that Egbin’s ST1 turbine had returned to operation. Another turbine, ST3, is expected to start working later on Monday, adding about 150 megawatts to the supply for Lagos.

Mr Tegbe, however, pointed out that the damage to transmission infrastructure is still a major problem. He questioned why the electricity system does not have enough alternative routes when existing lines fail.

“Some of the equipment we have is 40 to 50 years old,” he said. He revealed that only three transmission lines supplying Lagos are currently working, while another line has been down for over 18 months.

The affected line runs from Oshogbo to Ikeja West through Oshodi. When restored, it is expected to deliver an extra 400 megawatts to Lagos. But about six transmission towers along the route have been vandalised, making repairs tough.

The minister explained that the area is swampy, which complicates access and repair work. Still, he is confident that the line will be fixed by the end of November. Restoring the damaged infrastructure would help stabilise electricity supply along the Lagos-Ogun corridor.

Mr Tegbe mentioned that the electricity sector faces challenges at every level, including gas supply, generation, and transmission. He stated that Nigeria has enough gas resources for generating electricity but struggles with the gas supply chain.

“I can tell you categorically, we have gas. There is gas availability for us as a nation. It is a comparative advantage. However, within the gas supply chain, there are constraints,” he said.

One major issue is that electricity generation companies cannot pay for gas due to debts owed to them. He said the federal government has reduced the outstanding debt to N3.3 trillion. President Bola Tinubu is supporting efforts to settle the debts.

“In the last few months, we have paid down N1.23 trillion. We only have N2 trillion left,” he said. The minister added that the remaining N2 trillion would be paid next year. Settling the debts would help generation companies and improve their ability to buy gas for power production.

Mr Tegbe also recognised that some power plants are old, but he said the government is working to replace them with newer ones. A task force has been set up to tackle the vandalism of electricity infrastructure.

This task force includes the Ministry of Power, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Homeland Security, and the Department of State Services (DSS).

He explained that they have mapped areas affected by vandalism. Many of these areas also overlap with places known for kidnapping and banditry. The government plans to use new helicopters and drones to monitor vulnerable infrastructure and conduct rapid-response operations to catch suspected vandals.

However, he said the current legal framework needs to be stronger to ensure offenders face proper punishment. Mr Tegbe explained that suspected vandals are tried in magistrate courts, which can delay justice.

The government is proposing changes to the law to help authorities prosecute offenders better. Mr Tegbe said Nigerians should expect gradual improvements in electricity supply. He noted that the country’s infrastructure problems cannot be solved overnight.

“I took office in June and have only served as minister for five months, though it sometimes feels like five years. The truth is, there are challenges at every stage of the value chain,” he said.

He said Nigerians should start to see the effects of the government’s efforts within three to five years. He also acknowledged that the sector needs more infrastructure and generation capacity.

The minister said the government is looking at different ways to address power shortages in urban and rural areas. He mentioned Talase in Gombe State, which has been without electricity for 17 years, as a community that needs alternative solutions.

The government is working to strengthen the national grid to improve supply in major cities like Lagos. They are also deploying solar mini-grids to remote communities where extending transmission infrastructure would be too costly.

According to him, the government is providing solar mini-grids with capacities from 17 to 20 megawatts to some of these communities. Some of these communities are already enjoying round-the-clock electricity.

Mr Tegbe reiterated that he understands Nigerians’ frustrations about poor electricity supply. He said he and the president are committed to solving the problems in the power sector.