- Chief Adebayo Adelabu of the Ministry of Power announced that over 40% of Nigerians are experiencing significant improvements in electricity supply
- However, this has met mixed reactions as Consumer Advocates and some members of the public have strongly opposed the Ministry’s claim, while some others confirm the electricity improvement
- TheRadar compiled reactions below
A fraction of the public, including the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre (ECPAC), has expressed strong opposition to the Ministry of Power’s said that over 40 per cent of Nigerians now enjoy up to 20 hours of daily power supply.
Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, reported noteworthy improvements in Nigeria's electricity supply, on Sunday, September 30, which he credited to the reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu's government.
Minister claims 40 per cent enjoy significant electricity supply
The Minister said, “The major achievement is the fact that today we generate over 5,500 megawatts of power, we transmit and distribute it, and over 40 per cent of customers today enjoy over 20 hours of regular power supply across the nation. You can see that there is a significant improvement between when we came in and now, which we intend to improve further.”
However, the statement has drawn scrutiny from consumer advocates, as well as criticism from a fraction of the public.
Government told to address consumers’ complaints
As reported by the Punch, the Executive Director of ECPAC Princewill Okorie raised doubts about the credibility of the electricity statistics, stating, “Where are the reports from the 36 states? You have 774 Local Governments in Nigeria, if you take 40 per cent of the population of citizens in these Local Governments, you’ll know what the data is.”
Okorie proposed that the Ministry of Power create a consumer protection department to collect reliable data on electricity supply, stating, “The data is false, and the government should look at resolving the electricity consumers’ complaints rather than dishing out false reports.”
Power ministry commended for improvements in supply
Nonetheless, some members of the public have commended the ministry’s work, claiming they have noticed improvement in the power sector.
“My bro I be Igbo boy me ah no fi lie ohh. For our area here we dey get light ohh somewhere in Lagos mainland,” Yart Abraham stated on X, formerly Twitter.
Relatedly, another X user, Hanteywhite said, “Very true. The tarrrif is just high.”
Wierd thought on X said, “Just say you live in the forest and power supply never reach your side. We de get 21 hours light on a daily for my area in Ibadan.”
Mixed reactions from the public on power supply
TheRadar compiled mixed reactions from the public below:
“He should stop capping!” Dammygtnet stated.
“What about the rest 60%?, they should enjoy noise pollution from generators?😟 20 hours not even 24hrs🤔,” Nitroxenon capital added.
“For his mind he thinks it’s a Great job 🤧💔,” FX_Igwe reacted.
“@nitroxn_capital 20 hours of electricity is indeed a great improvement, but there's still more to be done. I am part of the 40% that benefits, but I vividly remember during the Buhari administration how my street struggled with constant power outages,” Engr_sustain commented.
“Tinubu told his Ministers to go and tell the public their achievements so far. Hence, this man now comes out making bogus claims. Now, they are suddenly interested in statistics, here is what is known:
“🔻Nigeria has not improved on electricity generation from paltry 5,000MW since this govt came into power.
🔻Nigeria's electricity generation is the lowest in the world, measured by per capita (amt divided by population). In comparison, Egypt & South Africa is doing ~10 & ~20 times better than Nigeria, respectively.
🔻According to Statista, only ~60% of Nigerians are presently connected to the national grid.
🔻In 2024 alone, power grid in Nigeria collapsed 6 times under this regime.
“The country is wallowing in abject darkness. To make matters worse, fuel for powering generators have become scarce and unaffordable. This Minister symbolizes failure of this regime, esp in a very critical sector that drives economic activities,” Ebere Anosike analysed.
Electricity customers may get another tariff hike as government’s monthly subsidy hits N181.63bn
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the monthly electricity subsidy increased to N181.63 billion for the month of September.
The report indicated another tariff hike was on the horizon for electricity customers.