Despite Tegbe’s 72-Hour Promise, Nigerians Still Battle Power Outages

Nigeria’s electricity generation has risen to 4,020.41 megawatts (MW), up from about 3,500MW, but the improvement has yet to translate into reliable power supply for households and businesses across the country.

The development comes amid growing frustration over prolonged power outages, particularly in Lagos and other states, despite assurances by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, that electricity supply would improve within 48 to 72 hours.

Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that generation increased on Monday, November 9, 2026, following disruptions linked to maintenance at the Egbin Power Station, gas supply constraints and damage to critical transmission infrastructure.

The increase followed the Federal Government’s intervention to restore damaged transmission infrastructure and return affected generating units to operation. However, electricity consumers continued to report inadequate supply, highlighting the gap between improved generation figures and the actual amount of electricity reaching homes and businesses.

According to the reported figures, electricity generation reached a peak of 4,253.6MW on Sunday before standing at 4,020.41MW on Monday. The Afam VI power plant contributed the largest share at 519MW, followed by the Shiroro hydroelectric plant with 445MW and the Azura-Edo plant with 438MW.

However, the Egbin Power Station, which has an installed capacity of 1,320MW, was generating only 108MW at the time of the reported assessment.

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The combined electricity allocation to the 11 distribution companies (DisCos) stood at approximately 3,195MW by late Monday afternoon, with Abuja DisCo receiving 581MW, Ikeja Electric 467MW and Eko Electricity Distribution Company 458MW.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, had earlier attributed the worsening electricity situation to planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Station, inadequate gas supply to some thermal power plants and the vandalism of critical transmission infrastructure.

In an update issued on Friday, November 6, Tegbe explained that maintenance activities and gas supply constraints had reduced the volume of electricity available on the national grid, forcing operators to introduce load shedding in some areas.

He also disclosed that the vandalism of key transmission lines had restricted alternative routes for delivering electricity, particularly to Lagos.

The minister subsequently apologised to Nigerians over the disruptions, acknowledging the difficulties experienced by households, businesses and public institutions.

He said the government was working with generating companies, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), NISO and electricity distribution companies to restore affected facilities and improve supply.

Tegbe had promised that the first affected generating units would return to operation within 48 to 72 hours, while repairs to damaged transmission infrastructure would be accelerated.

In a further update on Monday, the minister announced that the vandalised Benin-Egbin 330-kilovolt transmission line had been repaired and returned to service.

According to him, the restoration increased electricity supply to the Lagos electricity complex to more than 1,000MW, bringing it back to the level recorded before the disruption.

Tegbe said electricity had been restored to several previously affected areas in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory, although some locations were still awaiting full restoration.

He also disclosed that the government was working to repair another important transmission route, the Osogbo-Ikeja West 330kV line, which has reportedly remained out of service for about 18 months.

The line could deliver an additional 400MW to Lagos when restored. However, about six transmission towers along the route have been vandalised, making repairs difficult because of the swampy terrain.

The minister said the government expected the restoration work to be completed by the end of November.

Despite the recent disruptions, Tegbe has expressed confidence that Nigeria could achieve more stable electricity supply within the next three to five years.

He said the Federal Government was considering a proposed $2 billion east-west super grid designed to strengthen the country’s transmission infrastructure and increase its capacity to 19,000MW.

The proposed project is expected to connect several locations, including Funtua, Gwagwalada, Ikot Ekpene, Benin, Epe and Ilorin.

Tegbe said the government had commenced the procurement process and expected the project to improve the resilience of the national electricity network.

He also stressed the need to address longstanding infrastructure problems, noting that some electricity equipment was between 40 and 50 years old.

Meanwhile, he maintained that the government was working to improve electricity supply through better coordination among generation, transmission and distribution operators.

The latest development highlights the continuing challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector, where improvements in generation do not automatically guarantee adequate supply to consumers because of limitations in transmission and distribution infrastructure.

For millions of Nigerians, the major concern remains whether the increased generation figures and government interventions will translate into more consistent electricity supply.