Power minister shares reasons for recent power cuts

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has shared why electricity supply has been inconsistent in major cities recently. He said maintenance work and issues with gas supply have cut down power generation.

In a short statement on his social media pages on Friday, Mr Tegbe acknowledged the problem and the struggles it has caused for households and businesses. He added that work is ongoing to solve the issues.

“I am aware of the strain that the current outages have placed on households and businesses in four affected states, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory,” the minister said.

Recently, electricity supply in big cities like Lagos and Abuja has dropped sharply. The situation worsens with the high temperatures as the rainy season comes to an end.

The lack of steady electricity has added more pressure on families and businesses, especially with petrol prices still high. While some are having a tough time, others are looking to solar systems and inverters to meet their energy needs.

Reasons for the outages

On Friday, Mr Tegbe said the outages are due to planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station and limited gas supply to some thermal power plants. This has led to less electricity on the national grid.

“Grid operators have, therefore, implemented load shedding in some areas to manage the shortfall. Sabotage of key transmission lines has also restricted the use of alternative routes to supply some locations, especially Lagos,” he said.

The minister mentioned that he and his team are working to bring the affected generating units back in phases. The first units should be ready within the next 48 to 72 hours.

“We are also working with operators to improve gas supply and speed up repairs to the damaged infrastructure. I thank everyone affected for their patience and will provide further updates as supply is gradually restored,” he said.

The latest disruption highlights the ongoing issues facing Nigeria’s power sector, despite years of investment and reform efforts. Electricity supply is still unstable in many areas, with households and businesses often dealing with long outages and the rising cost of alternative energy sources.

Even with significant investments in power generation over the years, challenges like low plant availability, gas supply issues, maintenance problems, transmission delays, and old grid infrastructure continue to limit effective electricity delivery across Nigeria.