Why Tinubu Halted The Rise In Electricity Tarrif - Adebayo Adelabu

Dr. Adebayo Adelabu 

4,000 MW of electricity generation is unacceptable and shameful. The Adelabu

Nigeria's power minister, Adebayo Adelabu, has called it disgraceful that the country's capacity for electricity transmission and distribution has been stuck at roughly 4000MW for a number of years.

Speaking Monday in Abuja during a debate with power journalists, Adelabu emphasized how unacceptable the situation was.

"When I came in, the licences I saw were for 10 years, 2013 to 2023, but along the line I spoke to the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) chairman he said they had extended the licences by another five years. We are trying to review the correctness of that. We have ordered an investigation into the extension of the licences (to see) if they are actually in order," he said, adding that despite the extension, the licences can still be revoked if the Discos do not fulfil their performance benchmarks.

The electricity minister also revealed that arrangements had been made to hold an electricity Sector Retreat from December 12–14, 2023, which will result in a practical sector roadmap.

Adelabu emphasized that a country cannot expand its economy, industries, or any other sector without a dependable power supply, pointing out that the nations that had made the biggest growth were those who recognized electricity as the economic engine.

"For example, South Korea, with a 49 million population, generates and distributes 130,000 megawatts of power. So companies like Daewoo, Hyundai, LG and others are now giants of industry, having grown from one-shop companies that they were in the 1960s.

"Secondly, China with a 1.4 billion population generates and distributes 1.3 million megawatts of electricity.

"So when we say we are over 200 million people and what we generate and distribute on our national grid is just 4,000 megawatts, it is shameful; it is not acceptable. We must achieve better results," the minister ordered.