Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adedayo Adelabu, disclosed on Thursday that while about 150 million Nigerians currently have access to electricity, over 80 million still grapple with inconsistent or no power supply. This revelation was made at the 2025 Ministerial Sectoral Update Conference in Abuja, attended by key government officials including the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris Malagi.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Adelabu credited the improved access to electricity to Nigeria’s participation in the “Mission 300” initiative—a joint program by the World Bank and African Development Bank aiming to provide power to 300 million Africans by 2030. He noted that Nigeria is expected to account for at least 75 million of those beneficiaries.

However, he stressed that mere access is not enough, emphasizing the need for reliability and affordability of power. “The real issue is not just access, but the consistency and cost of that electricity,” Adelabu stated.

He warned global stakeholders not to focus solely on renewable energy solutions, which he said are better suited for rural areas. Instead, he urged more investment in strengthening Nigeria’s grid infrastructure to serve urban centers and industries efficiently.

The minister also reported a notable increase in power generation—from 4,300 to 6,003 megawatts since President Bola Tinubu assumed office—with a target of reaching 8,000 megawatts by the end of his first term. He announced that the Kaduna Power Plant is set to become operational by the end of 2025.

On the issue of metering, Adelabu reassured Nigerians that efforts are being made to close the long-standing gap, which has contributed to billing disputes and financial inefficiencies in the sector.

Adelabu also highlighted the financial gains from recent electricity tariff reforms. In April 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved a tariff increase for Band A customers—those enjoying over 20 hours of daily electricity—from ₦68 to ₦225 per kilowatt-hour. This generated ₦700 billion in revenue, though it was met with criticism from professional bodies like ICAN and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce, citing increased burdens on citizens and SMEs.

Despite these reforms, Nigeria’s national grid has continued to falter. In 2024 alone, it collapsed at least 12 times, causing major blackouts in cities including Lagos, Kano, and Abuja. The Transmission Company of Nigeria attributed these failures to outdated infrastructure, gas supply challenges, and vandalism.

Adelabu proposed regionalising the national grid to prevent total system failures and criticised the nation’s heavy reliance on imported power equipment, which strains foreign reserves.

With an unreliable national grid, many Nigerians and businesses have turned to off-grid alternatives. It’s estimated that diesel and petrol generators currently supply about 40,000 megawatts—eight times the output of the national grid. Some states are now developing independent power markets and mini-grid solutions to address the energy crisis.

“Our goal is to reverse this dependence on alternatives by addressing the structural flaws in our power sector,” Adelabu concluded.