The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced on Wednesday that the government is considering revocation of licenses held by power Distribution Companies (DisCos) if they fail to improve their services.
This announcement underscores the government’s commitment to addressing one of the most pressing issues faced by citizens and businesses across the country.
The statement, released through the Minister’s X handle, highlighted the government’s concern over the continuous inadequate power supply and its detrimental impact on Nigeria’s economic development and the well-being of its citizens.
The Minister revealed that the Chief Executives of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, along with the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, have been summoned to a crucial meeting.
During this meeting, they are expected to explain the current power supply challenges and outline their plans for immediate improvement.
This development comes amid widespread frustrations among Nigerians over erratic power supply, which has hampered economic activities and led to increased costs for businesses and households alike.
He said, “The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the worsening power supply in their respective regions and to collectively find lasting solutions.”
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.”
