Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said electricity supply would begin to improve within 48 to 72 hours. He made the statement as the Federal Government addressed generation and transmission problems that caused recent outages in parts of the country.
Tegbe released the update in a statement titled “Update on Power Situation.” He posted it on his Facebook page on Friday.
Tegbe linked the worsening power situation to planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station in Lagos. He described the facility as Nigeria’s largest thermal power generating station. It supplies about 16 percent of the electricity on the national grid.
He also pointed to constraints in gas supply to some thermal power stations. These factors reduced the amount of electricity available on the grid. As a result, grid operators introduced load shedding in some areas to manage the shortfall.
Furthermore, Tegbe noted that sabotage of critical transmission lines had limited alternative routes. This restriction particularly affected supply to Lagos.
The minister said he was aware of the strain the outages had placed on households and businesses. The problems hit four affected states, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory.
He stated: “I am aware of the strain that the current outages have placed on households and businesses in four affected states, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory.”
Tegbe explained that his team was working with relevant operators to restore the affected generating units in phases. The first units were expected to return to service within the next 48 to 72 hours.
He added: “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.”
Tegbe expressed appreciation to electricity consumers for their patience and promised further updates as supply gradually improved.
