Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has announced what he described as significant strides in the country’s electricity sector, including the attainment of the highest power generation level in the nation’s history under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at the first quarter 2026 meeting of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) in Lagos on Thursday, Adelabu said ongoing reforms initiated by the Federal Government were beginning to yield measurable results, despite persistent challenges in the sector.
The minister particularly commended President Tinubu for approving the settlement of longstanding debts owed to electricity generation companies (GenCos), a move widely seen as critical to stabilising the power value chain.
“We must commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking the bull by the horns and agreeing to clear the legacy debts. He deserves credit for that,” Adelabu said. “We have also recorded the highest generation levels and improvements across other key indices in the last three years. Our reforms are yielding results, even though they take time to fully materialise.”
He expressed optimism that electricity supply would improve in the near term, citing the restoration of previously vandalised gas pipelines, which are vital to thermal power generation across the country.
“I believe we are on a positive trajectory. The current challenges will soon ease, and within the next two weeks, we expect a significant improvement as gas supply to power plants increases following the repairs,” the minister added.
Nigeria’s power sector has long been constrained by inadequate gas supply, infrastructure deficits, and liquidity challenges, all of which have impacted generation, transmission, and distribution.
Adelabu, however, urged stakeholders across the electricity value chain to deepen collaboration and take collective responsibility for addressing these challenges.
“We must take ownership of the power sector. This is our country, and we must not be discouraged as someone has to do the job,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Musiliu Oseni, commended the minister for his consistent engagement with industry players and his active participation in NESI deliberations.
Also speaking, NERC Commissioner for Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye, lauded Adelabu’s leadership and commitment to driving reforms aimed at improving electricity service delivery nationwide.
The NESI quarterly meeting, hosted by NERC, remains a key platform for government officials, regulators, and private sector operators to assess progress, address bottlenecks, and align on strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s power sector.
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