Consumers oppose minister on 20-hour power supply claim

The Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre has expressed strong opposition to the Ministry of Power’s assertion that over 40 per cent of Nigerians now enjoy up to 20 hours of daily power supply.

The claim, made by Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, yesterday has been met with skepticism from consumer advocates who argue that the data lacks transparency and accuracy, reports The PUNCH.

In a statement issued yesterday, Adelabu announced significant improvements in Nigeria’s electricity supply, attributing this progress to various reforms initiated under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“The major achievement is the fact that today we generate over 5,500 megawatts of power, we transmit and distribute it, and over 40 per cent of customers today enjoy over 20 hours of regular power supply across the nation. You can see that there is a significant improvement between when we came in and now, which we intend to improve further,” he said.

However, ECPAC’s Executive Director, Chief Princewill Okorie, described the minister’s claims as “laughable.”

In a phone conversation with our correspondent yesterday, Okorie questioned the credibility of the statistics, stating, “Where are the reports from the 36 states? You have 774 Local Governments in Nigeria, if you take 40 per cent of the population of citizens in these Local Governments, you’ll know what the data is.”

Okorie suggested that the Ministry of Power should establish a consumer protection department to gather accurate data on electricity supply, asserting, “The data is false, and the government should look at resolving the electricity consumers’ complaints rather than dishing out false reports.”

Adelabu’s comments also highlighted the ministry’s focus on infrastructure improvements and strategic actions, including the signing of the new Electricity Act of 2023, which aims to decentralise and liberalise the sector.

He noted that installed generation capacity has risen from 13,000MW to over 14,000MW, facilitated by new hydroelectric power plants and upgrades to existing facilities.

“This administration was inaugurated on May 29, 2023. However, ministers were appointed on August 21, 2023. We are just a bit over a year old in the office. Upon resumption, we had an installed generation capacity of 13,000MW, but we were only producing, transmitting, and distributing about 4,000MW of power to the entire country,” Adelabu said.

Despite these assertions, consumer advocates remain unconvinced.

Okorie reiterated the need for more robust consumer engagement, stating, “The government must engage with actual consumers and their experiences. We want to see real-time data and solutions, not just announcements.”

Adelabu emphasised the critical need for stable electricity in any economy, asserting that for most developed nations, the first step towards success was achieving reliable, functional, and affordable electricity, especially for their industries, businesses, institutions, and households.

“This is why you see great economies like Korea, China, Europe, and North America industrialized today. Their stability in electricity supply has been instrumental to their economic growth and industrial development. That’s why we say that we must achieve this for Nigeria as a country. We need to achieve the requisite economic growth and industrial development,” he said.

He continued, “President Bola Tinubu included this in the Renewed Hope Agenda as a major electoral policy to Nigerians. In his New Year speech on January 1, 2024, he emphasised the need for the country to have stable, functional, and reliable electricity to drive other critical sectors.

“This is the only way we can achieve the required economic growth and industrial development. In fact, none of the critical sectors can function optimally without electricity stability and functionality.”

Adelabu outlined the ministry’s vision stating, “Therefore, our vision is to ensure that we provide households, businesses, and institutions (educational and health institutions as well as industries) with stable electricity supply.

“This will enable them to power their activities, improve their capacity, and create more jobs. In a country like South Korea, industrial giants like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG didn’t just become global giants overnight. They were supported by the government through the provision of stable and reliable electricity for their operations. This is the vision we have for Nigeria.”

Adelabu demonstrated optimism about the future of Nigeria’s electricity sector with ongoing initiatives, such as the Presidential Metering Initiative, aimed at installing over 10 million meters in five years.

“At the end of the day, a large proportion of our population will be electrified, industries will enjoy stable electricity, and this will increase production and create employment for our people,” he stated.