The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians of his dedication to delivering a stable electricity supply, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve the nation’s power infrastructure.
In response to public concerns regarding the N8 billion allocation in the Ministry of Power’s 2025 budget, Adelabu clarified that the funds are designated for advocacy against vandalism, education, public enlightenment, and deploying technology to safeguard power infrastructure. He dismissed reports suggesting the allocation was intended to sensitise citizens to pay electricity bills as baseless.
A statement issued by Bolaji Tunji, the Minister’s Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, quoted Adelabu as saying, “Contrary to misinformation being circulated, the Federal Government is deeply concerned about acts of sabotage that have undermined progress in electricity supply. The N8 billion budget allocation is focused on sensitising Nigerians to protect and take ownership of national power assets.”
Adelabu expressed concern over the alarming rate of vandalism, which he identified as a major disruption to power supply across the country. He cited a recent incident in Abuja, where the destruction of underground cables caused outages in parts of the city.
To address the issue, the ministry is launching a comprehensive advocacy campaign targeting all 774 local government areas and 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory. The campaign will involve town hall meetings, community engagements, and the use of various media platforms, such as radio, television, newspapers, social media, and billboards.
“The goal is to educate Nigerians on the implications of vandalism and encourage them to see power infrastructure as community assets,” the minister stated.
Adelabu also announced plans to incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in communities hosting power installations. Additionally, the ministry will engage local hunters and security personnel to safeguard infrastructure. He revealed that vandalism repairs have cost billions, referencing the N9 billion spent by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to restore facilities destroyed by terrorists along the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna transmission line last year.
The minister highlighted ongoing projects aimed at stabilising the national grid, including the Siemens initiative, which has achieved 95% completion in its first phase. As part of this phase, eight power transformers and five mobile substations have been installed in various states.
Plans for the second phase include constructing 14 brownfield substations and 20 greenfield substations. Adelabu also mentioned upgrades to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to enhance grid management and minimise grid collapses.
“When this administration took office, power generation was stagnant at approximately 4,000 megawatts. We have since added over 1,000 megawatts, achieving a three-year high of 5,528MW,” he stated.
Adelabu reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to making electricity a fundamental right for all Nigerians, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise.
“Nigeria cannot afford to lag in the global energy transition. We are determined to address these issues and provide efficient, effective, and uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians,” he added.
The minister’s remarks underscore the government’s resolve to tackle the challenges in the power sector and drive sustainable improvements in electricity delivery across the country.
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