Power Minister: Nigerians Ask Me to Slow Down as Some Areas Get 18 Hours of Electricity

Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe says some electricity consumers have jokingly asked him to “slow down” after improvements in supply left some areas receiving up to 18 hours of electricity a day.

Tegbe made the comment on Wednesday in Abuja while commissioning a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly known as the University of Abuja. He said recent interventions by the Federal Government were beginning to produce noticeable changes in some communities.

The minister said some areas that had previously gone for months with little or no electricity were now recording significantly longer supply hours. He joked that some consumers had contacted him asking him to slow down because their freezers were now running continuously.

“That is what a freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” Tegbe said.

Tegbe recalled that during his Senate screening, he had promised that Nigerians would begin to notice improvements in electricity supply within three to six months. He, however, acknowledged that major challenges remain across the power sector.

According to the minister, some electricity infrastructure in the country is more than 40 years old and requires systematic replacement. He also raised concerns over vandalism, saying three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi had been brought down by vandals.

He said the Federal Government had established a joint working committee involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to help protect critical electricity infrastructure and tackle vandalism.

At Yakubu Gowon University, Tegbe commissioned a solar hybrid facility combining a 3.3-megawatt solar array with 3MW AC output capacity and battery storage. The project is designed to supply electricity to lecture halls, laboratories, ICT facilities, administrative buildings and other critical areas of the institution.

More than 58,726 students are expected to benefit from the project, which includes 6,078 photovoltaic panels and 388 streetlights across the university campus. The project was delivered under Phase II of the Federal Government’s Energising Education Programme.