Nigeria Says Recent Power Supply Disruptions Resolved, Targets Grid Stability Within Five Years

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said on Monday that recent electricity supply disruptions in parts of the country had been resolved, assuring consumers that the government was working to maintain grid stability.

Tegbe said on November 7 that planned maintenance at the Egbin power station, gas supply constraints and the sabotage of transmission lines had contributed to power outages in four states, including Lagos and Kwara, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He said the maintenance work at Egbin and limited gas supplies to some thermal power plants had reduced the amount of electricity available on the national grid.

Speaking on the TVC programme on Monday, Tegbe said the disruptions had been addressed and the planned maintenance completed.

“Number one, we’ve sorted out this little challenge we had in the last few days. It was painful for most of you. But look, we fixed it. And we will ensure that that stability remains. My focus is to ensure grid stability,” he said.

Addressing outages in the Lagos corridor, the minister said electricity had been restored to several areas by Sunday night.

“I’m sure in Lagos, I confirm as at last night because I made personal calls, Ajah, Lekki, Ikoyi, Magodo, Ikeja, lights are back,” he said.

“People have attested to it, people have sent me messages. Nigerians, again, I appeal to you, just bear with us, we’ll get there.”

Tegbe also said Nigeria could achieve a more stable electricity supply within the next three to five years, citing plans to strengthen the country’s power infrastructure and expand grid capacity.

“Honestly speaking, you already see some visible improvement despite the challenge we have had. By the time we fix the grid… I’ll look at the horizon of about three to five years from now,” he said.

“Infrastructure build-out is not done overnight. Even when we fix some of the challenges we have today, we need to build the capacity.

“Everybody’s building capacity for AI, for data. Most young people work from home, and because of that, there’s a need for bandwidth and for electricity supply.”

The minister said the federal government was planning to invest $2 billion in an east-west super grid to strengthen the country’s electricity transmission network and increase its capacity to 19,000 megawatts.

He said the proposed transmission network would complement existing infrastructure rather than replace it, improving the resilience and stability of the national grid.

The project would traverse the country, linking Funtua, Gwagwalada, Ikot Ekpene, Benin, Epe and Ilorin, Tegbe said.

The government has begun the procurement process for the project, which could be completed within two years, he added.

Tegbe said the initiative was expected to increase grid capacity from about 4,000 megawatts to 19,000 megawatts.

He also said the government expected private-sector participation in electricity transmission within the next two to three years.

“So give me a time horizon of three to five years. Nigeria will enjoy stable life. And as demand improves, it will get better,” he said.

Tegbe said the government’s immediate priority was to optimise existing electricity infrastructure to improve the reliability of power supply.

He appealed to Nigerians to be patient, acknowledging the difficulties households and businesses face because of inadequate electricity supply.