Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced a significant milestone in Nigeria’s power sector, revealing that a record 5,105 megawatts of electricity were generated on July 27, 2024 – the highest output in three years.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Power Sector Working Group in Abuja on Wednesday, Minister Adelabu highlighted recent achievements and outlined future objectives for the power sector.
He noted, “We have achieved a remarkable feat, successfully generating and transmitting 5,105MW of power just a few days ago, on July 27. This surpasses our previous capacity of approximately 4,000MW, marking a substantial improvement in the sector’s performance.”
“Our target is to achieve a landmark generation and transmission of 6,000MW by December.”
To harness the economic potential of Nigeria’s power sector, the government ministers at the meeting called for increased collaboration across various ministries and sectors.
They emphasised the sector’s crucial role in driving economic growth and industrialisation, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s vision.
Adelabu underscored the necessity of inter-ministerial collaboration to achieve these objectives.
“Power is not something that should be left alone to the Ministry of Power and its agencies. There are many supportive ministries without which we cannot achieve our mandate,” said Adelabu.
He said the power ministry is working closely with the Ministries of Environment, Water Resources and Sanitation, Budget and Planning, and Petroleum Resources, particularly the Minister of State (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, echoed the sentiment, stating, “The Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Power are like brothers and sisters. We will do everything possible to work together to achieve the renewable energy agenda of the President in making life better for Nigerians.”
Addressing the need for sustainable energy solutions, Adelabu highlighted the role of renewable energy sources.
“We are focusing on generating power in a sustainable and environment-friendly manner. This is why we talk about renewables, through solar, wind, and small dams,” he said.
The Minister of Environment, represented by Minister of State, Iziaq Salako, emphasised the environmental impact of power generation and the importance of managing waste generated in the process.
“As we go ahead to develop our power sector, we are also developing a process to manage the waste that will come out,” he said.
Adelabu outlined the terms of reference for the working group, which include activating seamless power sector liquidity and financing, providing guidance in the governance structure of electricity distribution companies, and focusing on the energy transition programme to achieve net zero emissions by 2060.
The collaborative efforts are set to not only boost power generation and distribution but also ensure that the benefits are felt by households, businesses, and industries across the country, the minister explained.
