By Ojima-ojo Abubakar
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians that electricity supply disrupted by gas shortages and maintenance work at a major power plant will improve within 48 to 72 hours.
Tegbe gave the assurance on Friday, amid growing complaints over prolonged power outages in parts of the country, particularly Lagos State.
The minister said the Federal Government was working to restore affected generating units in phases, with the first units expected to return to operation within the next three days.
He attributed the electricity crisis to inadequate gas supply to thermal power plants and planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Plant.
In a statement, Tegbe said the government was engaging relevant operators to address the challenges and accelerate the restoration of electricity supply.
“My team and I are working to return the affected generating units to service in phases, with the first units coming back online within the next 48 to 72 hours.
“We are also working with operators to improve gas supply and accelerate repairs to the damaged infrastructure,” he said.
The assurance comes amid disagreements between electricity distribution and transmission authorities over the cause of the persistent power disruption.
The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company had blamed instability in the national grid for its inability to guarantee Band A customers a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily.
However, the Transmission Company of Nigeria disagreed with Ikeja Electric over its explanation of the disruption affecting customers on the Band A tariff.
The disagreement has further raised concerns over accountability in the electricity sector, particularly as consumers continue to grapple with unreliable power supply despite paying higher tariffs for improved service.
Tegbe, however, maintained that the government was working with power sector operators to address the supply challenges and return affected generating units to operation.
The minister’s 48-to-72-hour timeline is expected to provide some relief to affected Nigerians if the promised restoration is achieved.
