Electricity supply has risen to as much as 18 hours daily in some parts of Nigeria that previously endured months of outages, Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has said.
Tegbe disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
The minister said the reported improvement had become noticeable enough for some electricity consumers to jokingly urge him to slow down the pace of improvement.
“Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing,” Tegbe said.
He added humorously: “That is what freezer is meant to do.”
According to Tegbe, the development reflects progress towards the commitment he made during his Senate screening that Nigerians would begin to see noticeable improvements in electricity supply within three to six months.
The minister, however, said the improvement should not be taken to mean that the sector’s longstanding problems had been resolved.
He identified ageing electricity infrastructure and the vandalism of transmission facilities among the major challenges still confronting the power sector.
Tegbe’s remarks came as the Federal Government continues to pursue alternative and decentralised power solutions, including solar hybrid projects, to strengthen electricity supply to institutions and communities.
