The Chief Technical Adviser to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Olowoniyi, has indicated that Nigerians may soon begin to experience steady improvements in electricity supply as maintenance work on a major gas pipeline nears completion.
Speaking during a television interview on Thursday, he explained that full gas supply to power plants is expected to be restored within the next two weeks, which should significantly boost electricity generation across the country.
His comments follow a recent apology issued by the Minister of Power over ongoing power outages affecting households, businesses, and industries nationwide. Olowoniyi described the apology as a show of responsibility and leadership, rather than an admission of fault.
He clarified that the recent drop in electricity supply was largely due to maintenance activities on a critical gas pipeline that supplies fuel to several power plants, noting that Nigeria’s power sector relies heavily on gas.
According to him, as the maintenance work wraps up and gas pressure is fully restored, power plants will be able to return to their previous output levels. He added that early signs of improvement are already being observed and that the situation should continue to get better in the coming weeks.
The minister had earlier assured Nigerians that the outages were caused by factors beyond immediate control but emphasized that efforts are underway to resolve the issue quickly. He also reiterated plans to increase the country’s electricity generation capacity to 6,000 megawatts by the end of 2026, describing the current challenges as temporary.
In recent months, many Nigerians have faced persistent blackouts and unstable power supply, largely due to gas shortages, with generation levels fluctuating between 2,000 and 3,900 megawatts.
