“I Can’t Promise 24/7 Electricity in a Year “ – Minister of Power 

Although the supply of electricity in Nigeria remains more unpredictable than before, Minister of Power Bayo Adelabu is unable to guarantee any notable progress in the coming year.

The minister can only promise a gradual but consistent improvement in electricity supply over time.

In a Monday, February 19, 2024, interview with Channels TV, the minister stated that it will require time and political will to address the industry’s issues.

“If anybody tells you that you’ll have 24/7 uninterrupted light in the next six months or one year, it’s a lie because it’s not practical even if you throw all the money in the world at it,” he stated.

Adelabu is certain he understands how to solve the issues, but all he can guarantee is a steady, long-term improvement in the availability of electricity.

The experienced banker claimed that the issues facing Nigeria’s electricity sector had nothing to do with the technical or engineering aspects of things when his eligibility for the ministry was questioned.

He enumerated the principal issues as operational, structural, and financial and liquidity issues, adding that he already had documented answers for the particular issues in each value chain segment.

Adelabu highlighted solutions and stated that substantial investment is needed in the sector to support growth and have a lasting impact.

“We need consistent funding for us to get to where we’re going. If there’s no such funding, there’ll be very little we’ll achieve when it comes to transmission. To build a power substation now costs millions of dollars. To install 100km of 330 or 132 KV line costs hundreds of millions of dollars. So, it’s not little money that’s required to have stable electricity, it’s a lot of investment over time,” he said.