In a bid to tackle Nigeria’s persistent power woes, Minister Adelabu has reiterated plans to significantly ramp up the nation’s electricity generation capacity to meet burgeoning energy demands. During a working visit to various power projects in Lagos, the minister underscored the government’s commitment to enhancing the sector’s performance through substantial investments in infrastructure and efficient customer response.
Adelabu’s visit to Lagos included an inspection of key facilities such as the headquarters of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and two 20 MVA injection substations at Randle, Surulere, along with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) monitoring rooms. Speaking during the visit, Adelabu emphasized the urgency of boosting electricity generation capacity, stating that the current 3,500 megawatts is unacceptable.
“We have plans to increase the capacity to a minimum of 6,000 to 6,500 within the next three to six months,” Adelabu stated, highlighting the critical need to enhance power supply across the country to fuel economic growth effectively.
Acknowledging the pivotal role of the power sector in industrial and economic development, Adelabu compared Nigeria’s power generation capacity unfavorably to that of countries like Korea and China. He stressed the imperative for substantial improvement in the sector to meet the nation’s energy needs effectively.
Addressing challenges in the power sector, Adelabu emphasized the importance of prioritizing baseload power generation and gradually transitioning to cleaner energy sources. He also acknowledged the persisting complaints about power outages and urged stakeholders to collaborate in addressing these challenges and improving service delivery.
Furthermore, Adelabu outlined the government’s strategy to prioritize service provision to customers in higher billing bands while gradually extending improved services to all segments through strategic infrastructure investments.
The minister commended EKEDC for its achievements over the past decade and stressed the need for continuous improvement in the power sector to drive economic growth and development effectively. Adelabu’s reiteration of plans to significantly increase power generation capacity signals a renewed commitment from the government to tackle Nigeria’s longstanding power challenges head-on
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