Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) have apologised to Nigerians over persistent power outages, acknowledging the hardship caused by weeks of inadequate electricity supply across the country.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Sunday Oduntan, tendered the apology on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“I’d like to first of all start by apologising to Nigerians. Apology is needed; it is essential because Nigerians have been taken through this problem over the past few weeks,” he said.
Oduntan also criticised what he described as a return to the blame game among operators in the electricity sector.
He recalled that similar disagreements between stakeholders had affected the industry between 2016 and 2019, when distribution companies, transmission operators, generation companies and gas suppliers regularly blamed one another for poor electricity supply.
“Our major problem is that we have started that very wrong route that we went through between 2016 and 2019. What is that? Blame game.
“Part of what happened at that time is that people will blame the DisCos, DisCos will blame TCN, TCN will blame GenCos, GenCos will blame the gas suppliers, and gas suppliers will blame payment issues. We have returned to that, and I think there is a need to arrest that,” he said.
Oduntan Questions Conflicting Explanations
The ANED chief also expressed concern over statements from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) on the causes of the electricity shortages.
He said NISO had attributed the supply challenges partly to low water levels and inadequate gas supply, while the NNPC later issued a statement indicating that gas was available.
However, Oduntan questioned the NNPC’s explanation, saying the company should clarify whether outstanding payments were affecting gas supplies to power generation companies.
“From the NNPC statement, it is very clear that they came to tell us half-truths. What I would have expected NNPC to do is to go ahead and talk to us whether there are payment issues. We need to know whether gas was paid for and delivered, who did, who didn’t,” he said.
He urged the Minister of Power to bring the relevant stakeholders together to establish the actual causes of the shortages and find lasting solutions.
“This back and forth blame game between gas suppliers, NNPC and, of course, TCN or NISO, I think the Minister of Power needs to take charge. There is a need for this leadership because, at the end of the day, they need to call them together,” he said.
Prolonged Blackouts Spark Public Anger
The apology comes amid growing frustration over poor electricity supply, with households and businesses struggling to cope with prolonged outages in recent weeks.
The shortages have also raised questions about the effectiveness of the Band A, B and C electricity tariff classification, which links customers’ payments to the level of electricity supply they are expected to receive.
Customers, including those on Band A, who are entitled to a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily, have continued to complain about inadequate supply.
The situation has been worsened by intense dry-season heat and El Niño-related climate conditions, leaving many residents struggling without electricity to operate fans and air conditioners.
The outages have triggered protests and criticism from public figures.
Veteran actress Kate Henshaw questioned why Nigerians continued to struggle with reliable electricity, lamenting that households had effectively become “mini-factories” because they had to generate their own power.
Content creator Cute Abiola also appealed to President Bola Tinubu in a video, expressing frustration over the unbearable heat and the difficulties Nigerians face in accessing alternative sources of electricity.
Meanwhile, rising petrol and diesel prices have made generator use increasingly expensive, while the cost of installing solar panels, batteries and inverters remains beyond the reach of many households and small businesses.
Tinubu’s Electricity Promise Under Scrutiny
The worsening power crisis has renewed attention to President Tinubu’s campaign promise to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges.
During his 2023 presidential campaign, Tinubu pledged to improve electricity supply and end estimated billing.
He made the promise while addressing members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos, telling Nigerians to hold him accountable if he failed to deliver.
“Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me, unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver,” he said.