On Wednesday, the Federal Government threatened to remove power distribution companies’ licences due to the country’s persistently poor power supply.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced this on Wednesday.
The minister, via his X handle, stated that the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, and the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria have been summoned to a critical meeting to explain the current challenges facing the country.
“The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the worsening power supply in their respective regions and to collectively find lasting solutions,” he told reporters.
He lamented the insufficient electricity distribution by the Discos, despite the generation companies, saying “the ministry has been exerting pressure on the Generating Companies to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW. Despite this progress, certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in regions such as Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan.”
He stated his commitment to hold all distribution companies accountable for their performance as “willful non-performance will not be tolerated, and severe consequences, including license revocation, may be imposed.”
He added, “Additionally, I have instructed TCN to prioritise repair works on damaged transmission towers and power lines to improve supply in affected regions. During recent supervisory visits to power-generating plants, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by the sector.
“Plans are underway to settle outstanding debts owed to power generation and gas supply companies, which will alleviate the financial strain and contribute to improved generation levels nationwide. I urge electricity consumers to remain patient as we work tirelessly to address these issues and provide better service to all Nigerians.”