Di Federal Government don officially beg Nigerians for di serious light wahala wey dey happen up and down di kontri. Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, tender dis apology for one press conference wey e hold for Abuja on Tuesday. E tok say di situation don cause plenty hardship for homes, businesses, schools and industries, especially during dis dry season wey heat dey too much.
Adelabu explain say di main problem na shortage of gas wey dey go to di Generation Companies (GenCos). E say gas suppliers no dey get dia money wey dem dey owe dem, and dis one dey affect how dem dey supply gas to power plants. Di minister even hint say di war wey dey happen for Middle East fit make di mata worse.
“No be our wish to find oursefs for dis situation, but na some factors wey actually dey beyond our control,” Adelabu tok. “But we no dey relent, we dey work on am 24/7 to make sure say we go back to di trend, to di trajectory of 2025 whereby you bin praise us, whereby you bin commend us for a good job well done.”
Di minister promise say power generation, transmission and distribution go improve within di next few weeks. E even set target say dem go achieve 6,000 megawatts bifor di end of dis year. But many Nigerians dey ask how dis one go happun wen di problem don dey for long time.
For Nigeria, di power sector dey depend mainly on gas-fired plants. But dis plants dey face plenty problems like inadequate gas supply, pipeline maintenance issues, old infrastructure, and money wahala. “These issues collectively impact both the quantity and quality of gas delivered to power plants, leading to underutilisation of installed generation capacity, increased outages, and inefficiencies in power production,” di minister explain.
To solve dis wahala, Adelabu suggest say Nigeria need to scale up renewable energy solutions, particularly off-grid and mini-grid systems. E tok say renewable energy offer cost-effective and sustainable way to expand access without overburdening di national grid. Di minister also call for integration of additional renewable energy into di grid, including utility-scale solar, hydro, and oda renewables.
“Integrating utility-scale solar, hydro, and other renewables will also enhance energy security and support climate objectives,” Adelabu tok. “This will require investments in grid monitoring and control systems and system planning to effectively manage intermittency while maintaining grid stability.”
Meanwhile, sabi pipo for power sector dey warn say di light wahala no go end until govment address certain serious issues. Dem tok say plenty debts, foreign exchange challenges, and weak infrastructure continue to weaken di ability of gas power plants wey dey produce most of Nigeria electricity.
Heather Onoah, wey dey for GENCOs Board of Trustees, explain say lack of transmission facilities na one of di main problems wey dey cause grid collapse. “We no get enof transmission facilities, or network wey go carry dis power go wia dem go use am,” she tok. “So, sometimes power go even dey flow back into di system, make everytin scatter.”
Electrical engineer John Adebayo tok say e dey important to explore different ways wey fit help improve light for Nigeria. “Di lasting solution for Nigeria na sustainable, fit even expand reach oda countries,” e tok. “Power solution dey simple, make we use hybrid style, repair all di bad equipment on di path wey carry light reach consumers, and make hybrid dey.”
Renewable energy expert Victoria Ibrahim tell BBC say if Nigeria use solar or hydro power wia e fit work, e go change di electricity wahala for di country. “If we try tins like decentralization, use renewable energy from waste, small hydro or solar wia e fit work,” she tok. She add say, “Na some of dis methods fit bring us di reliable and steady power we need for Nigeria.”
One interesting mata wey come up na wetin happun for Aso Rock, di seat of power. Report show say by 2026, Aso Rock don fully disconnect from di national electricity grid sake of say dem dey complete dia solar power project. Di federal govment bin budget N10billion for di “Solarisation of di Villa wit Solar Mini Grid” project for 2025.
Dis decision by Aso Rock to comot for electricity grid don raise kwesion of wetin go come happun to ordinary Nigerians. Di Director-General of di Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, say e go dey impossible for di Villa to kontinue to dey pay almost N47billion annual electricity bill.
As Nigerians dey wait to see if Adelabu promises go come true, di minister face anoda kwesion about im political ambition. Observers suggest say Adelabu dey eye di Oyo governorship seat for 2027 elections. President Bola Tinubu give all appointees at federal level March 31st deadline to resign if dem get political ambitions. But di minister say e still get some days until di deadline and insist say, either at national or subnational level, im aim na to serve.
For now, Nigerians dey watch to see if di light go truly improve as di minister promise. Many pipo dey suffer from di heat, businesses dey lose money, and food dey spoil. Di kontri need lasting solution to di power wahala wey don become part of evriday life for many years.
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