The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, announced yesterday that more than 40% of Nigerians now benefit from 20 hours of electricity supply each day.
In a statement released by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, the minister explained that this achievement followed various revolutionary measures implemented by the government to provide more stable and regular electricity to Nigerians.
Earlier in April, the Federal Government, via the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), removed electricity subsidies for around two million customers in Band A, ensuring at least 20 hours of power supply daily. Data from NERC indicated that the average power generation in August was 4,150 Megawatts, serving an estimated population of over 200 million people.
Adelabu credited the progress to the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of his renewed hope agenda aimed at revitalizing the economy. Reflecting on his first year in office during the lead-up to this year’s Independence Day celebration, Adelabu attributed the increase in power supply to radical and bold governmental actions.
“This achievement is the result of many revolutionary measures undertaken by the Power Minister, with the backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he stated. Adelabu emphasized that the President has consistently advocated for Nigeria’s potential to excel through stable and consistent power supply.
He highlighted that one of the significant accomplishments of his ministry over the past year is that Nigeria is now generating over 5,500 megawatts of power. The ministry aims to further improve this figure by the end of the year, as stable electricity is a key campaign promise of President Tinubu.
Adelabu noted the importance of stable electricity for economic development, stating, “The first thing developed nations got right was to achieve reliable, functional, and affordable electricity, especially for their industries, businesses, institutions, and households.” He referenced the industrial successes of countries like Korea, China, Europe, and North America, attributing their economic growth to stable electricity supply.
He added, “This is why we must achieve this for Nigeria. We need to realize the economic growth and industrial development essential for our country.” Adelabu pointed out that in his New Year address on January 1, 2024, President Tinubu stressed the need for stable, functional, and reliable electricity to support other critical sectors.
The minister articulated a vision to provide households, businesses, and institutions—including educational and health facilities—with stable electricity. This, he argued, will enhance their capabilities and create more jobs.
Adelabu cited South Korea as an example, noting that industrial giants like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG became global leaders due to governmental support in providing stable electricity for their operations. He expressed optimism that Nigeria could achieve similar success.
He concluded, “This administration was inaugurated on May 29, 2023, and ministers were appointed on August 21, 2023. We are just over a year in office. At the start, we had an installed generation capacity of 13,000 megawatts, but we were only producing, transmitting, and distributing around 4,000 megawatts of power nationwide.”