Power Failure: Enough Of Rhetoric- Minister

Nigeria’s power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu says the federal government is now taking concrete steps to address the nation’s electricity problems.

According to Adelabu, the government has now decided to match promise with words in order to finally resolve the incessant power outages in the country.

The minister spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the 4th edition of the annual workshop organised by the Power Correspondents Association of Nigeria, PCAN.

The minsiter was represented at the event by the Director, Renewables & Rural Access in the ministry, Sunday Owolabi.

He said successive administrations in the country had promised to address the challenges even though the problems persisted, stressing that the government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu will go beyond mere rhetoric to tackle the challenges in the sector.

Adelabu’s admonition comes when Nigerians are already giving up hope on the ability of the country’s authority to address the decades of power problem in the country.

For instance, the national grid had collapsed at least 10 times this year, the recent being two weeks ago when electricity customers were against thrown into darkness, while businesses suffered.

Speaking yesterday, Adelabu said the government is now ready to move from rhetoric by taking practical steps to address the problems of electricity failures, saying “we resolute in our mission to improve the power supply for every Nigerian.”

To achieve this, the minister stated that huge investments are being made in the sector to close “infrastructure gaps, enhance power generation, and improve transmission networks,” apart from other reforms that the government has embarked on to turn the tide in the sector.

He said, “For many years, we have had discussions, deliberations, and strategic dialogues on the challenges facing the power sector. We have heard the calls for reform, the promises of growth, and the visions of a brighter energy future.

“Yet, it is clear that words alone will no longer suffice. We have reached a pivotal moment where the time for action has arrived. Our citizens, industries, and economy can no longer wait for promises; they demand results.

“The government remains fully committed to transforming Nigeria’s power sector through meaningful and actionable reforms. We are focused on ensuring that our policies are not only visionary but also practical, impactful, and sustainable.

“From the ongoing efforts to address infrastructure gaps, enhance power generation, and improve transmission networks, to the vital reforms in distribution and the full implementation of the electricity market, we are resolute in our mission to improve the power supply for every Nigerian.”

The magazine reports that the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, while speaking on the problems facing the sector, said endemic corruption is to blame.