Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has formally apologised to Nigerians over the persistent electricity outages being experienced across the country, assuring that efforts are underway to stabilise power supply in the coming weeks.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Adelabu described the current situation as temporary but acknowledged the significant hardship it has caused for households, businesses, and institutions nationwide.
“I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially now, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship, especially during this dry season where there is so much heat,” the minister said.
He noted that the erratic power supply has negatively impacted key sectors, including education, commerce, and industry, stressing that the government is not pleased with the situation but is actively working to resolve it.
Adelabu attributed the outages largely to factors beyond immediate government control, particularly disruptions in gas supply to thermal power plants. However, he assured that recent commitments from gas suppliers, alongside ongoing repairs of critical infrastructure, would lead to noticeable improvements.
According to him, electricity supply is expected to begin improving within the next two weeks as repairs on gas pipelines are completed and supply stabilises.
The minister also revealed that the federal government has set up a special committee to monitor compliance with domestic gas supply obligations by gas producers, a longstanding issue affecting electricity generation in the country.
“We now have a committee tracking compliance to ensure gas companies meet their obligations to power plants,” he added.
Adelabu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the power sector, stating that efforts are ongoing to enhance generation, transmission, and distribution capacity. He disclosed that the government is targeting a power generation output of 6,000 megawatts before the end of 2026.
“We are working round the clock to return to and surpass the performance levels Nigerians experienced in 2025. Power generation, transmission, and distribution will improve, and Nigerians will be better for it,” he said.
The minister further expressed optimism that the sector would not only recover but perform better than in previous years.
The apology comes amid growing concerns over a possible nationwide blackout, following a reduction in gas supply to thermal power plants. Earlier in March, the Nigerian Independent System Operator reported a significant drop in electricity generation on the national grid, attributing the decline to inadequate gas supply, which forced several power plants to shut down.
The development has intensified public frustration as Nigerians continue to grapple with unreliable electricity supply during a period of increased demand driven by high temperatures.
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