The Federal Government has attributed recent electricity supply disruptions in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states to gas shortages at thermal power plants, maintenance challenges and reduced output from hydropower stations.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this on Thursday, acknowledging growing complaints from electricity consumers over declining hours of power supply in the affected areas.
Tegbe said the affected locations had recorded noticeable improvements in electricity supply before the latest disruptions, adding that preliminary assessments indicated that the outages were not caused by a major or systemic failure of the national grid.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Adeola Adelabu, the minister said the government was working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Nigerian Independent System Operator and electricity distribution companies to address the challenges and restore normal supply.
“The Ministry acknowledges the inconvenience this has caused households, businesses and public institutions, and understands the frustration of Nigerians who had begun to see the benefits of steadier supply.
“We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” he said.
The minister explained that maintenance and operational difficulties across parts of the electricity value chain, coupled with inadequate gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs, had affected electricity generation.
Meanwhile, electricity distribution companies received a combined allocation of 2,926 megawatts as of 4:41pm on Thursday, November 5, according to the latest distribution data.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received the highest allocation of 633MW, representing approximately 21.6 per cent of the total supply allocated to the 11 distribution companies.
Ibadan Disco followed with 391MW, while Port Harcourt Disco received 320MW. Benin Disco was allocated 264MW, Eko Disco 256MW, Enugu Disco 253MW and Ikeja Disco 249MW.
Other allocations included 173MW for Kano Disco, 167MW for Kaduna Disco, 146MW for Jos Disco and 74MW for Yola Disco, which received the lowest allocation.
The figures, however, represent electricity allocated to the distribution companies at the stated time and do not necessarily reflect the actual power delivered to consumers.
Tegbe said he had engaged relevant agencies and distribution companies to resolve the constraints, accelerate ongoing maintenance work and keep consumers updated on efforts to restore stable electricity supply.
The minister’s acknowledgement of the disruptions coincided with the Federal Government’s announcement that it had secured the release of 44 containers of electricity equipment from the Apapa ports in Lagos.
The containers were among more than 300 shipments of power equipment reportedly stranded at the ports, with some abandoned since 2014.
According to Tegbe, the clearance followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive after the last Federal Executive Council meeting, mandating the Ministry of Power to work with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority to resolve outstanding issues surrounding the stranded equipment.
He said the President directed the agencies to reconcile outstanding charges and facilitate the release of the containers.
The minister disclosed that the first batch of 44 containers had been released following the intervention, adding that technical experts would inspect the equipment to determine their condition before deployment.
He explained that serviceable items would be deployed to ongoing electricity projects, while unusable equipment would be appropriately disposed of.
The development follows the recovery of 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company under its Managing Director, Jennifer Adighije.
The recovery reportedly saved the government more than N30bn and helped unlock approximately 470 megawatts of electricity generation capacity through recovered turbines.
The Ministry of Power is expected to deploy the newly recovered equipment to support ongoing infrastructure projects, although details of the contents of the 44 containers, their condition and the timeline for deployment were not disclosed.
