The Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre has disputed the recent claims by the Ministry of Power that over 40% of Nigerians now enjoy up to 20 hours of electricity daily.
According to The PUNCH, these claims, made by the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, on Sunday, have raised doubts among consumer rights groups who argued that the figures presented lack clarity and verifiability.
In his Sunday announcement, Adelabu attributed the perceived improvements in Nigeria’s electricity supply to reforms introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The minister specifically pointed to the progress made in power generation and distribution.
“The major achievement is the fact that today we generate over 5,500 megawatts of power, we transmit and distribute it, and over 40 per cent of customers today enjoy over 20 hours of regular power supply across the nation,” Adelabu stated.
“You can see that there is a significant improvement between when we came in and now, which we intend to improve further,” he added.
However, the Executive Director of ECPAC, Chief Princewill Okorie, dismissed the minister’s claims as unrealistic.
In a phone interview, Okorie raised concerns about the accuracy of the statistics, calling them “laughable.”
He challenged the Ministry of Power to provide a more transparent breakdown of the data, saying, “Where are the reports from the 36 states? You have 774 Local Governments in Nigeria, if you take 40 per cent of the population of citizens in these Local Governments, you’ll know what the data is.”
Okorie also suggested that the Ministry should set up a consumer protection department to gather real-time, accurate data on electricity supply across the country.
“The data is false,” he insisted, urging the government to focus on resolving ongoing complaints from electricity consumers rather than releasing what he described as “false reports.”
Adelabu, while defending the ministry’s stance, highlighted the ongoing infrastructure upgrades and strategic reforms, including the signing of the new Electricity Act of 2023, which aims to decentralize and open up the power sector to increased private investment.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s installed generation capacity has risen from 13,000MW to over 14,000MW, largely due to new hydroelectric plants and improvements to existing power facilities.
“This administration was inaugurated on May 29, 2023. However, ministers were appointed on August 21, 2023. We are just a bit over a year old in office. Upon resumption, we had an installed generation capacity of 13,000MW, but we were only producing, transmitting, and distributing about 4,000MW of power to the entire country,” Adelabu stated, underscoring the strides made in just over a year.
Despite these advancements, consumer advocacy groups remain critical.
Okorie emphasized the importance of involving everyday electricity users in discussions about the state of power supply, noting, “The government must engage with actual consumers and their experiences. We want to see real-time data and solutions, not just announcements.”
Adelabu underscored the importance of a stable electricity supply as a cornerstone for any nation’s economic development, pointing to examples from global economic powerhouses.
He remarked, “For most developed nations, the first step towards success was achieving reliable, functional, and affordable electricity, especially for their industries, businesses, institutions, and households.”
He further elaborated, “This is why you see great economies like Korea, China, Europe, and North America industrialized today. Their stability in electricity supply has been instrumental to their economic growth and industrial development. That’s why we say that we must achieve this for Nigeria as a country.”
The minister also linked the improvement of Nigeria’s power sector to President Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,’ which prioritizes the need for stable electricity to boost the nation’s economy.
“In his New Year speech on January 1, 2024, President Tinubu emphasized the need for the country to have stable, functional, and reliable electricity to drive other critical sectors,” Adelabu noted.
Looking towards the future, the minister outlined the Ministry’s vision for ensuring a reliable electricity supply for households, businesses, and institutions, stating, “This will enable them to power their activities, improve their capacity, and create more jobs.”
He cited examples from South Korea, where industrial giants such as Samsung, Hyundai, and LG grew with government support, particularly through the provision of stable electricity for their operations. “This is the vision we have for Nigeria,” Adelabu declared optimistically.
The minister also pointed to the ongoing Presidential Metering Initiative, which aims to install over 10 million electricity meters within five years, as part of the broader efforts to improve electricity access and reliability nationwide.
“At the end of the day, a large proportion of our population will be electrified, industries will enjoy stable electricity, and this will increase production and create employment for our people,” Adelabu concluded confidently.
