Nigerians Demand Resignation of Power Minister Amid Ongoing System Failures and N501 Billion Bond Signing
A growing number of Nigerians are calling for the resignation of Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu due to his perceived incompetence in managing a sector plagued by frequent system collapses, resulting in widespread blackouts across the country.
Citizens are expressing frustration over the persistent failures of Nigeria’s electricity system, questioning the minister’s achievements since he took office. Many believe that in a functional government, he would have resigned by now due to the deteriorating power situation.
Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed again on Tuesday, leading to a nationwide blackout. This incident marks the second system failure within the same week, with the previous collapse occurring just days earlier.
The latest failure coincided with the signing of a N501.021 billion bond under the N4 trillion Power Sector Multi-Instrument Issuance Programme, aimed at settling legacy debts owed to generation companies (Gencos).
Notable officials present at the bond signing included the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, and other key representatives from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicated that power generation plummeted to zero megawatts around 11:00 AM, affecting electricity supply across all regions.
Distribution companies, including Benin, Eko, and Ibadan Discos, reported zero power allocations, leaving homes and businesses in darkness.
The breakdown has raised serious concerns about the reliability of Nigeria’s electricity transmission infrastructure. As of the report’s filing, there had been no official statement from the Transmission Company of Nigeria or NISO regarding the cause of the collapse or a timeline for restoring power.
Although some areas are beginning to see a slow restoration of electricity, the widespread impact of the outage is still being felt across the nation.
As frustrations mount over the Minister of Power’s performance and the ongoing failures of the electricity system, calls for his resignation reflect a broader concern about the state of Nigeria’s energy infrastructure