Omotayo Adigun
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has squarely attributed Nigeria’s enduring power sector challenges to the long-standing neglect and ineffective strategies of past administrations.
Speaking during a meeting with a delegation from the World Bank in Abuja, Minister Adelabu asserted that previous governments had merely paid lip service to transforming the power sector, failing to implement meaningful changes and consequently hindering the nation’s progress.
According to a statement released by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu emphasized that the current administration, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is committed to breaking from this pattern and establishing a robust foundation for a stable, reliable, and efficient power supply. He highlighted the government’s willingness to collaborate with international agencies and reputable organizations, including the World Bank, to achieve these objectives.
Minister Adelabu lamented the significant deterioration of power infrastructure over time due to a lack of consistent maintenance. He questioned how the nation could expect a stable energy supply given the neglect of its extensive transmission and distribution network, including thousands of kilometers of power lines and transformers.
He also raised concerns about the impact of vandalism on power infrastructure and the significant metering gap, with only approximately half of the over 12 million customers currently having meters.
Drawing a historical comparison, Adelabu pointed out that between 1984 and 2023, Nigeria only managed to add 2,000 megawatts to its power generation capacity, despite achieving 2,000 MW in 1984 alone during a military regime.
In contrast, he claimed that the current administration has overseen an increase to an average of 5,800 MW of generation within its first one and a half years in office. He argued that if previous administrations had demonstrated similar progress, Nigeria would not be facing its current power crisis.
Furthermore, Adelabu criticized the previous administration of Muhammadu Buhari for its alleged failure to act on the Siemens contract, which was signed in 2019. He stated that no significant progress was made on the project until President Tinubu’s administration took office in 2023.
Adelabu expressed optimism about the current progress, noting that the pilot phase of the Siemens project is nearing completion in less than two years under the current government, a feat he contrasted with the lack of action in the preceding four years.
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The Minister conveyed President Tinubu’s deep concern for the power sector and assured the World Bank delegation of the President’s full support for all efforts aimed at revitalizing it. He commended the World Bank and other partners for their ongoing support across various aspects of the power sector, including transmission, distribution, renewable energy, and generation, urging them to continue their collaboration to ensure the success of the current administration’s investments.
Adelabu underscored the critical role of a stable and efficient power supply in driving growth across all sectors of the Nigerian economy, including agriculture, transportation, defense, education, and health. He emphasized that the current administration is bringing a new level of seriousness, determination, and commitment to transforming the power sector, attributing this in part to President Tinubu’s background as a practical businessman, finance expert, and politician.
Minister Adelabu concluded by reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the power challenges and expressed confidence in a brighter future for the sector under the current leadership and with the continued support of international partners like the World Bank.