The Federal Government of Nigeria has renewed assurances of imminent improvement in electricity supply, projecting stability within two weeks as maintenance work on a critical gas pipeline supplying power plants nears completion.
Speaking on television, the Chief Technical Adviser to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Olowoniyi, disclosed that the ongoing repairs had significantly constrained gas supply to generation companies, leading to widespread outages across homes, businesses, and industries nationwide.
He explained that Nigeria’s heavy reliance on gas-powered generation makes the sector particularly vulnerable to disruptions in gas supply. According to him, restoration of full gas pressure will enable power plants to ramp up production to levels recorded in recent months.
“We are confident that within the next two weeks, full gas pressure will be restored,” Olowoniyi said, noting that early signs of improvement are already being observed as pressure gradually builds along the pipeline network.
The development follows a public apology by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, over persistent blackouts across the country. Olowoniyi defended the minister’s stance, describing it as a demonstration of leadership and accountability rather than an admission of failure.
Earlier in Abuja, Adelabu attributed the outages to factors beyond immediate government control, while reaffirming commitment to stabilising supply in the short term and expanding generation capacity to 6,000 megawatts before the end of 2026.
Nigeria’s electricity sector has faced mounting challenges in recent months, with generation levels dropping to between 2,000 and 3,900 megawatts due to gas shortages. The crisis has been compounded by legacy debts estimated at over ₦6.8 trillion, forcing some gas-fired plants to scale down or halt operations.
For millions of Nigerians, prolonged blackouts—worsened by rising temperatures—have triggered frustration and criticism, particularly on social media. While the government insists the current situation is temporary, the coming weeks are expected to be a critical test of its ability to deliver on renewed promises of stable power supply.