Power supply to improve in 72 hours as FG moves to restore generation – Tegbe

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians that electricity supply will begin to improve within the next 48 to 72 hours as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to address generation and transmission challenges responsible for recent widespread outages.

Tegbe attributed the worsening power situation to planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station in Lagos, the country’s largest thermal electricity generating facility, which contributes approximately 16 per cent of electricity supplied to the national grid.

The minister disclosed this in a statement titled ‘Update on Power Situation’, published on his Facebook page on Friday.

He acknowledged the difficulties faced by electricity consumers and businesses in four affected states, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, explaining that maintenance activities at Egbin and gas supply constraints at some thermal power plants had significantly reduced electricity available on the national grid.

“I am aware of the strain that the current outages have placed on households and businesses in four affected states, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

According to him, grid operators have been forced to implement load shedding in some locations to manage the reduced electricity generation.

Tegbe also identified the sabotage of critical transmission lines as another factor worsening the situation, noting that the damage had limited the availability of alternative routes for electricity distribution, particularly in Lagos.

He said the Ministry of Power was collaborating with relevant operators to restore affected generating units, improve gas supply and accelerate repairs to damaged infrastructure.

“My team and I are working to return the affected generating units to service in phases, with the first units coming back online within the next 48 to 72 hours.

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“We are also working with operators to improve gas supply and accelerate repairs to the damaged infrastructure,” he added.

The assurance comes amid growing complaints from electricity consumers in Lagos and Ogun states over prolonged blackouts, with residents expressing concerns about the impact of the outages on businesses, household activities and daily living, particularly amid prevailing hot weather conditions.

Meanwhile, the worsening electricity crisis has sparked a disagreement between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Ikeja Electric over the causes of recent power interruptions.

TCN, in a statement issued on Friday, rejected Ikeja Electric’s explanation that outages recorded on November 3 and 4 were caused by instability in the national grid.

The transmission company maintained that inadequate gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced hydroelectric generation were primarily responsible for the decline in electricity available for distribution.

Describing Ikeja Electric’s explanation as inaccurate and misleading, TCN argued that the distribution company had wrongly attributed generation-related shortages to the transmission network.

“TCN can only transmit the energy made available to it and cannot transmit energy that is not generated,” the company stated.

It further disclosed that the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) had not identified any transmission network failure as the cause of the reported outages.

According to TCN, 68 per cent of interruptions recorded on feeders supplying Ikeja Electric resulted from frequency-control load shedding triggered by inadequate power generation.

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

The remaining six per cent, it said, resulted from planned maintenance, switching operations and limitations on the transmission lines.

The disagreement followed an apology by Ikeja Electric to customers on some Band A feeders after the distribution company failed to meet the minimum daily electricity supply requirement of 20 hours on November 3 and 4.

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

He said the Federal Government was engaging TCN, NISO and electricity distribution companies to resolve the challenges and restore stable electricity supply across the country.

The minister’s latest assurance has raised expectations among consumers and businesses struggling with the impact of prolonged power interruptions, particularly in Lagos and neighbouring communities.