The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has acknowledged worsening electricity supply disruptions in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states, as the Federal Government moves to recover abandoned power equipment, beginning with the clearance of 44 containers from Apapa ports in Lagos.
The minister said the affected areas had recently recorded noticeable improvements in electricity supply before the latest disruptions, which he attributed to maintenance and operational challenges, gas shortages at thermal power stations and reduced output from hydropower plants.
The development comes amid growing complaints from electricity consumers over reduced supply hours, with the Nigerian Independent System Operator identifying inadequate gas supply and lower water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs as major constraints on national grid generation.
The latest electricity distribution data showed that the 11 electricity distribution companies received a combined allocation of 2,926 megawatts as of 4:41pm on Thursday, 5 November, 2026.
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received the highest allocation of 633MW, accounting for about 21.6 per cent of the total power allocated to the DisCos. Ibadan Disco followed with 391MW, while Port Harcourt Disco received 320MW.
Benin Disco received 264MW, while Eko Disco was allocated 256MW. Enugu Disco received 253MW, slightly ahead of Ikeja Disco, which got 249MW.
Among the remaining distribution companies, Kano Disco received 173MW, Kaduna Disco 167MW and Jos Disco 146MW, while Yola Disco received the lowest allocation of 74MW.
The figures indicate significant differences in electricity allocations among the distribution companies, with Abuja Disco receiving more than eight times the allocation to Yola Disco.
The figures represent the load allocated to the distribution companies at the stated time, not necessarily the electricity ultimately delivered to consumers.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Adeola Adelabu, Tegbe said preliminary assessments showed that the disruptions were not caused by a major or systemic failure of the national grid.
He said the government was working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria, NISO and electricity distribution companies to address the problems and restore normal supply.
“The Ministry acknowledges the inconvenience this has caused households, businesses and public institutions, and understands the frustration of Nigerians who had begun to see the benefits of steadier supply.
“We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” the minister said.
He explained that maintenance and operational issues across parts of the electricity value chain, alongside reduced generation, were responsible for the decline in supply.
Tegbe said he had engaged the relevant agencies and distribution companies to resolve the constraints, accelerate ongoing maintenance and keep consumers informed about restoration efforts.
The minister’s acknowledgement of the outages coincided with the announcement that the Federal Government had facilitated the clearance of 44 containers of electricity equipment from Apapa ports, where more than 300 containers had remained stranded, some since 2014.
Tegbe said the clearance followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive after the last Federal Executive Council meeting, asking the Ministry of Power to work with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority to resolve the outstanding issues.
According to him, the President directed the agencies to reconcile outstanding charges and facilitate the release of the equipment.
The minister said the first 44 containers had been released following the intervention, adding that technical experts would inspect their contents before deployment.
He stated that serviceable equipment would be deployed to ongoing electricity projects, while unusable items would be disposed of appropriately
The development also follows the recovery of 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company under its Managing Director, Jennifer Adighije.
The recovery reportedly saved more than N30bn and helped unlock about 470 megawatts of electricity generation capacity through recovered turbines.
The latest clearance is expected to provide additional equipment for ongoing power infrastructure projects, although the ministry did not disclose the specific contents of the 44 containers, their condition or the timeline for deployment.
(Punch)
