Amid widespread concerns over recent power outages affecting millions across the country, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians of the prompt and imminent restoration of stable electricity supply following a noticeable decline caused by a temporary but significant shortfall in national power generation capacity.
This assurance comes as stakeholders in the power sector, including the Nigeria Independent System Operator (NISO), convene to address the immediate challenges, with coordinated efforts underway to rectify the underlying issues that have led to reduced electricity availability, particularly at a time when demand surges during the festive period.
The statement conveying the minister’s assurance was issued yesterday by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, who noted that the situation is expected to be resolved within the next 24 to 48 hours.
“The drop in power supply followed an explosion on the Escravos–Lagos Gas Pipeline (ELP), compounded by acts of vandalism on critical gas infrastructure, which disrupted gas supply to several thermal power plants across the country,” he said.
The minister’s assurance also came in response to a statement by NISO informing the public and power sector stakeholders that it was closely monitoring ongoing repair works being carried out by the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company (NGPTC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). NISO further confirmed that the pipeline explosion resulted in a significant reduction in electricity generation nationwide.
According to NISO, several gas-fired power stations recorded reduced output following the incident, leading to a drop in available generation capacity on the national grid and a consequent shortfall in electricity supply to consumers.
The system operator noted that it had received assurances from NGPTC that restoration works on the vandalised pipeline were nearing completion and that full operations were expected to resume within 24 to 48 hours.
Adelabu acknowledged the inconveniences currently being experienced by households and businesses, emphasising that the disruption was temporary and directly linked to acute gas supply constraints affecting several thermal power generation stations.
Given the increased electricity demand during the Yuletide season, he stressed the urgency of restoring gas supply and ramping up energy generation.
