Minister Adebayo Adelabu Addresses Nigeria's Power Outages

On Tuesday, Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, held a press briefing in Abuja to address the recent nationwide electricity outages affecting homes, schools, and businesses. He formally apologized to Nigerians for the hardships caused by the blackouts, particularly during the peak dry season heat.

Adelabu described the outages as a temporary issue, attributing them to supply constraints beyond the Ministry's immediate control, including limited gas delivery, pipeline maintenance challenges, and financial pressures on power operations. He reassured citizens that improvements are imminent, with a committee established to work with gas suppliers and ongoing pipeline repairs expected to enhance supply within two weeks.

Adelabu also outlined efforts to stabilize the power grid, including a new payment structure to incentivize increased gas delivery to power plants. He reaffirmed the federal government's target to boost electricity output to 6,000 megawatts by the end of 2026, emphasizing that the current crisis is a temporary setback in a broader reform agenda aimed at improving generation, transmission, and distribution.