- Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, said Nigeria will generate and distribute 8,000 megawatts of power by 2027
- He said the Transmission Company of Nigeria commissioned 61 new transformers to strengthen grid capacity
- Adelabu said the Federal Government is committed to maintaining grid stability
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, says Nigeria will generate and distribute 8,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first term in 2027.
Adelabu gave the assurance during a ministerial press briefing hosted by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Thursday, April 17.
He noted that the President Tinubu-led administration increased power generation by 1,700 megawatts in two years, whereas it took the country 35 years to achieve a 2,000 megawatt increase in the past.
The minister also stated that Nigeria achieved a peak generation capacity of 5,801.44 MW on March 4, 2025, and the highest ever daily energy output of 128,370.75 MW under his stewardship.
He assured that if the new trajectory is sustained, the ministry will generate and distribute 8,000 MW of power before the end of the Tinubu administration in 2027.
Adelabu noted that if past administrations since 1999 added at least 1,000 MW to the grid, Nigeria would be boosting about 30,000 MW of power today.
“In summary, the average daily power generated and distributed in the first quarter of 2025 was 5,700 megawatts.
“Compared with what we met when we resumed office, an average of 4,100 megawatts was achieved in the third quarter of 2023, this indicates a growth of 1,600 megawatts, nearly 40 per cent growth since we assumed office at the ministry.
“This is very important to us. I came into office in August 2023, and between July, August, and September, what we achieved was 4,100 generated, evacuated, transmitted, and distributed, and it’s always been like that. Even though there were spikes in the past, it would go up, it would come down.
“It was not sustainable, and it took the country about 40 years. In 1984, when Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman was the Federal Minister of Power, we achieved 2,000 megawatts of power generation.
“We took this to 4,000, about 2016-2022. So it took the country between 35 and 40 years to achieve 2,000 incremental generations.
“But this administration, thanks to our Mr President for his support, in one and a half years, we grew this from 4,100 to a peak generation of 5,800; a 1,700 increase in one and a half years.
“What we are saying is that past administrations have their own positives, the creation of the NIPPs, a lot of things that they achieved.
“If they have been adding at least 1,000 megawatts of power since 1999, we’d be talking about 26,000 megawatts, plus 4,000, that would be about 30,000 megawatts of power in Nigeria today, but we cannot keep dwelling in the past.
“It’s the way forward. Now that we have created the trajectory, if we sustain this trajectory, I can assure you that before the end of this administration in 2027, we should be able to generate and distribute nothing less than 8,000 megawatts of power.
“So, given that it took the country almost 40 years to achieve an incremental 2,000 megawatt average energy, we accomplished this,” he said.
‘TCN commissioned 61 new transformers to strengthen grid capacity’
The Power Minister further stated that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) strengthened the critical network by commissioning 61 new transformers to ensure the grid covers over 200 million people.
He said this has ensured that a grid operational capacity of 8.7 gigawatts, capable of carrying an 8,700 MW power generation capacity.
Adelabu said, “As of today, if we grow our generation to 8,700 megawatts, the grid can still carry it, thanks to the activities of the TCN and the FGN power company.
“Two years ago, once it gets to 5,000 megawatts, the grid collapses, then we have evacuated 5,800 megawatts successfully without the grid blinking, it was still stable, so we can transport 8,700 megawatts.
“To strengthen this critical network, TCN commissioned 61 new transformers, totalling 5,589 MVA in 2024. Followed by nine additional transformers in quarter one of 2025 across key locations in Lagos, Benin, Bauchi, Oshogbo, Kano, and Kaduna, we have the list of the sites, I once mentioned that TCN had over 100 unfinished projects.
“In the 2025 appropriation, we already have N25 billion to support TCN to complete some of these projects, and that will also improve power supply.”
FG committed to maintaining grid stability –Adelabu
Adelabu added that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring the stability of the grid, which has not witnessed any major disturbances so far in 2025, unlike in 2024 when the national grid collapsed 12 times.
He said the government, through the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), has delivered infrastructure across 13 locations and increased the national grid by 700MW.
The minister assured that the current momentum in grid stability is sustained and working to close the turnaround time for any disturbance to the grid to two hours.
“Beyond TCN, we have the activities of the Presidential Power Initiative, which is being executed by the FGN power company. The pilot phase delivered infrastructure across 13 locations, adding 700 megawatts to the national grid.
“We experienced a number of grid disturbances towards the end of last year, but since January up till today, four months into the new year, we have not seen any major disturbance to the grid.
“I can assure you, we do everything possible to maintain and sustain the current scenario. If there’s any little disturbance, our turnaround time is being worked upon; within one to two hours, the grid will be up,” he added.
Nigeria to achieve 6,000MW of power by year-end, 30GW by 2030 – Power Minister
Meanwhile, TheRadar reported that the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said Nigeria aims to achieve 6,000 megawatts (MW) of power by year-end through a combination of hydroelectric and gas-fired power plants and targets to generate, transmit and distribute 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, 30 per cent of which will be renewable energy.
Adelabu also said power generation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration increased from four MW to 5,170 MW within a year of being in office.
