By NINI NDUONOFIT-AKOH

FG Targets Improved Electricity Supply Within 72 Hours, Says Power Minister

THE Federal Government has assured electricity consumers that power supply will begin to improve within 48 to 72 hours as efforts intensify to address generation and transmission challenges behind recent outages across parts of Nigeria.

Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe gave the assurance in a statement titled Update on Power Situation, which he published on his Facebook page on Friday. He attributed the electricity shortages to planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station in Lagos, alongside inadequate gas supply to some thermal power plants.

Egbin Maintenance, Gas Shortages Reduce Generation

According to the minister, Egbin Power Station, which he described as Nigeria’s largest thermal generating facility, contributes approximately 16 per cent of the electricity available on the national grid.

Consequently, its planned maintenance has reduced generation capacity. In addition, gas supply constraints at some thermal power stations have further limited the amount of electricity available for distribution.

Tegbe acknowledged that the outages had placed considerable pressure on households and businesses in four affected states, including Lagos, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

He explained that grid operators had introduced load shedding in some locations to manage the reduced electricity supply. Furthermore, he identified the sabotage of critical transmission lines as another factor restricting the use of alternative routes, particularly in Lagos.

FG Begins Measures to Restore Supply

To address the situation, the ministry is working with relevant power sector operators to restore affected generating units in phases, improve gas availability and accelerate repairs to damaged infrastructure.

The minister said the first generating units were expected to return to service within the next 48 to 72 hours. However, he indicated that the restoration process would take place in phases rather than through an immediate return to full capacity.

Meanwhile, the assurance comes amid growing complaints from electricity consumers in Lagos and Ogun states. Residents have expressed frustration over prolonged blackouts, which they say have made the prevailing hot weather increasingly difficult to endure.

TCN, Ikeja Electric Disagree Over Causes of Outages

As consumers await improved supply, a disagreement has emerged between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Ikeja Electric over the causes of recent electricity interruptions.

In a statement issued on Friday, TCN rejected Ikeja Electric’s explanation that grid instability caused the outages recorded on 3 and 4 November. Instead, the transmission company attributed the decline in available electricity to inadequate gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced hydroelectric generation.

TCN described Ikeja Electric’s account as inaccurate and misleading, arguing that the distribution company had wrongly blamed generation-related shortages on the transmission network.

The company maintained that its responsibility was to transmit the electricity generated and made available to the grid. As it put it, “TCN can only transmit the energy made available to it and cannot transmit energy that is not generated.”

Furthermore, TCN said the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) had not identified any failure of the transmission network as the cause of the interruptions.

TCN Attributes Most Interruptions to Low Generation

Providing a breakdown of the disruptions on feeders supplying Ikeja Electric, TCN said 68 per cent resulted from frequency-control load shedding caused by inadequate generation.

It attributed another 26 per cent to Ikeja Electric’s alleged failure to comply with allocated load, alongside faults and maintenance on its distribution network.

According to the transmission company, the remaining six per cent arose from its own planned maintenance, switching operations and line limitations.

The disagreement followed Ikeja Electric’s apology to customers on some Band A feeders. The distribution company had acknowledged that it failed to meet the minimum daily electricity supply requirement of 20 hours on 3 and 4 November.

Government Reaffirms Commitment to Restoring Electricity

Earlier, on Thursday, Tegbe had linked the power disruptions to maintenance and operational challenges across the electricity sector, gas shortages at thermal plants and reduced output from hydropower stations.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government was working with TCN, NISO and electricity distribution companies to resolve the constraints and restore normal supply.

With the minister now projecting an initial improvement within 48 to 72 hours, consumers will be watching closely to see whether the planned restoration of generating units and other interventions translate into more reliable electricity across affected communities.