The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe has assured Nigerians of swift restoration of normal supply of electricity.
Mr Adeola Adelabu, Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Minister of Power made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
Mr Adelabu said that the minister was working closely with the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Distribution Companies (DisCos) to quickly restore normal supply of power.
According to him, he has engaged them to resolve the operational constraints behind the downtime, speed up ongoing maintenance, and keep the public informed.
“The ministry of power has noted the concerns of Nigerians in some parts of the country that have experienced reduced electricity supply in the past few days, especially Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo States.
“These are areas that had recently enjoyed noticeable improvements in power supply before the current downtimes,” he said.
Adelabu said that the ministry of power acknowledged the inconvenience the decline of power supply had caused households, businesses and public institutions, and understood the frustration of Nigerians who had begun to see the benefits of steadier supply.
“We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” he said.
He said that preliminary assessments showed that the disruptions were not the result of any major or systemic failure of the national grid.
Adelabu said that the disruptions stemmed from maintenance and operational issues on parts of the power ecosystem, together with a decline in generation caused by constraints in gas supply to thermal power stations.
He said that the disruptions also stemmed from reduced output from hydroelectric stations due to lower water inflows into reservoirs.
According to him, all the issues that led to the disruptions are being addressed.
He said that the ministry of power reaffirmed its commitment to the progress already recorded and to improving the reliability and quality of electricity supply nationwide.
“Nigerians deserve better power, and this administration is working to deliver it,” he said.
“The minister applauds the public for its patience and understanding and will provide further updates as restoration progresses,” he said.