Adelabu: Nigeria’s Minister Of Lamentation

Fresh from his appointment as the Minister of Power last year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  Adebayo Adelabu, boasted that he has found solutions to Nigeria’s electricity problem.

Speaking last September, the minister said the solutions to the nation’s erratic electricity problem may not be too farfetched. “I’ve diagnosed the issues to a large extent, and I’ve found out that the solutions are not as difficult as we all believe,” he said.

Few months down the line, the former Deputy Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria, CBN,  appears to have lost the ideas on how to tackle the country inherent power supply problem, according to experts watching the nation’s power sector.

The minister would later described the power sector in the country to be too ‘complicated’. Experts insist that he now has a full grasp of the situation, buy whether he has the expertise to tackle them is another question entirely.

Two times this year, the national power grid has collapsed leaving many electricity users to be wondering what is actually happening in the sector.

The situation has made not a few Nigerians to lament the impacts of erratic power on their homes and business.

Some businesses have closed shop while many homes are currently battling with several heat day and night due to power outages.

“Our children could no longer sleep at night due to heat. Foods in our refrigerators are getting spoiled everyday. And for those of us who depend on electricity for our businesses, this is not the best time at all,’ Bola Richards, a cold room owner in Lagos said.

But Nigerians are not the only ones lamenting, the minister also seems to have lost his patience over the situation, and has now decided to crack down on perceived saboteurs.

In his quest to find a way out of the problem, Adelabu has summoned the management of power firms in the country to a meeting in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Whether this meeting would bring a permanent solution to the erratic power situation in the country, according to those watching what is going on, is another conjecture.

The minister posted on his verified X handle on Wednesday, that he has ordered the Chief Executives of two power firms; Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, to a crucial meeting because he’s “deeply concerned about the deteriorating electricity supply across the country.”

Apart from the two power companies, the Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has also been summoned to the meeting.

Adelabu said, “The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the worsening power supply in their respective regions and to collectively find lasting solutions.

“It is disheartening to witness the decline in power supply despite the concerted efforts to improve the situation. The Ministry has been exerting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW.

“Despite this progress, certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in regions such as Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan.

“Moving forward, I am committed to holding all distribution companies accountable for their performance. Willful non-performance will not be tolerated, and severe consequences, including license revocation, may be imposed. Additionally, I have instructed TCN to prioritize repair works on damaged transmission towers and power lines to improve supply in affected regions.

“During recent supervisory visits to power generating plants, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by the sector.

“Plans are underway to settle outstanding debts owed to power generation and gas supply companies, which will alleviate the financial strain and contribute to improved generation levels nationwide. I urge electricity consumers to remain patient as we work tirelessly to address these issues and provide better service to all Nigerians,’ the minister said.

In the last few days, the power problem has worsened to the extent that Nigerians are now sourcing alternative power to be used in their homes and business.

The minister had recently blamed vandals for the problem, apart the challenges of inadequate gas supply to generating firms, which he said has hampered their production capacity.

On their part, the power companies have blamed the huge debt owed by some public and private concerns for their inability to perform optimally.

Among the major debtors are the presidency, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, National Assembly, the Military, federal government agencies and parastatals and some state governments owing several billions to distribution firms, and have refuse to pay up.

The total debt has piled up to more than N190 billion, the distribution companies, Discos, claimed recently while threatening to cut off power supply to the debtors.

Meanwhile, not a few Nigerians suffering from the current electricity problem in the country has advised the minister to do his job. What they need, according to them is not blame game, but stable power to make their homes and business functional.