Power Minister Admits Worsening Blackouts, Says FG Clears 44 Containers Of Equipment

 

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has acknowledged worsening electricity supply disruptions in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states, attributing the decline to maintenance challenges, gas shortages and reduced hydropower generation.

The Federal Government has also announced the clearance of 44 containers of abandoned electricity equipment from Apapa ports in Lagos as part of efforts to strengthen power infrastructure.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Adeola Adelabu, Tegbe said the affected areas had recently experienced improvements in electricity supply before the latest disruptions.

He explained that preliminary assessments showed the outages were not caused by a major or systemic failure of the national grid.

According to him, maintenance and operational challenges across parts of the electricity value chain, inadequate gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced output from hydropower plants contributed to the decline.

The minister said the Federal Government was working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Nigerian Independent System Operator and electricity distribution companies to resolve the constraints and restore normal supply.

“The Ministry acknowledges the inconvenience this has caused households, businesses and public institutions, and understands 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.

The latest disruptions come amid growing complaints from electricity consumers over reduced supply hours.

Data released by the electricity distribution companies showed that the 11 DisCos received a combined allocation of 2,926 megawatts as of 4:41pm on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received the highest allocation of 633MW, representing about 21.6 per cent of the total, followed by Ibadan Disco with 391MW and Port Harcourt Disco with 320MW.

Benin Disco received 264MW, Eko Disco 256MW, Enugu Disco 253MW and Ikeja Disco 249MW.

Kano Disco was allocated 173MW, Kaduna Disco 167MW, Jos Disco 146MW, while Yola Disco received the lowest allocation of 74MW.

The figures show a significant disparity in allocations, with Abuja Disco receiving more than eight times the allocation to Yola Disco.

However, the allocations represent the load assigned to the distribution companies at the stated time and do not necessarily reflect the electricity ultimately delivered to consumers.

Meanwhile, Tegbe said the clearance of the 44 containers followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive after the last Federal Executive Council meeting, mandating the Ministry of Power to work with the Nigeria Customs Service and Nigerian Ports Authority to resolve outstanding issues.

He said more than 300 containers of electricity equipment had remained stranded at the ports, with some reportedly abandoned since 2014.

According to the minister, the President directed the relevant agencies to reconcile outstanding charges and facilitate the release of the equipment.

Tegbe said the first 44 containers had been released, adding that technical experts would inspect their contents before deployment.

He explained that serviceable equipment would be deployed to ongoing electricity projects, while unusable items would be disposed of appropriately.

The development follows the recovery of 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company under its Managing Director, Jennifer Adighije.

The recovery reportedly saved more than N30bn and helped unlock about 470 megawatts of electricity generation capacity through recovered turbines.

Although the latest clearance is expected to provide additional equipment for ongoing power projects, the Ministry of Power has not disclosed the specific contents of the 44 containers, their condition or when they will be deployed.