ANED APOLOGISES TO NIGERIANS OVER PROLONGED BLACKOUTS, URGES TEGBE TO SUMMON POWER SECTOR OPERATORS
The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) has apologised to Nigerians over the persistent electricity shortages across the country, acknowledging the hardship caused by weeks of prolonged blackouts affecting households and businesses.
The association has also urged the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, to convene an emergency meeting of stakeholders in the electricity sector to address the crisis and develop lasting solutions to the worsening power situation.
ANED Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sunday Oduntan, made the appeal on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s *Sunrise Daily*, where he admitted that Nigerians had endured significant difficulties as a result of inadequate electricity supply.
Oduntan began by apologising to electricity consumers, describing an apology as necessary given the extent of the disruption.
“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.
The ANED chief executive also expressed concern over the renewed blame game among operators in the electricity industry, warning that the practice was preventing stakeholders from addressing the underlying problems.
He recalled that between 2016 and 2019, distribution companies (DisCos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), generation companies (GenCos) and gas suppliers routinely blamed one another for poor electricity supply instead of working together to resolve the challenges.
According to him, the same pattern has resurfaced, making it necessary for the government to intervene.
“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,” he said.
He explained that distribution companies blamed transmission operators, transmission operators pointed fingers at generation companies, while power generators attributed their difficulties to inadequate gas supply and payment disputes.
Oduntan also questioned conflicting explanations from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) regarding the factors responsible for the electricity shortages.
He noted that NISO had attributed part of the problem to low water levels and insufficient gas supply to power plants, while the NNPC subsequently issued a statement indicating that gas was available.
Reacting to the development, Oduntan insisted that Nigerians deserved a clearer explanation of the situation, particularly whether outstanding payments and other commercial disputes were affecting gas deliveries to electricity generation companies.
He challenged the NNPC to provide detailed information about gas supplied, payments received and the companies that had fulfilled their financial obligations.
“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 stated.
The ANED boss called on the Minister of Power to take the lead by bringing all relevant stakeholders together to establish the actual causes of the electricity crisis and agree on coordinated measures to restore stable supply.
He maintained that continued disagreements among gas suppliers, the NNPC, transmission operators and NISO would not improve electricity generation or distribution.
The apology comes amid growing public frustration over persistent blackouts, with households and businesses struggling to cope with unreliable electricity despite paying for different tariff categories.
Customers on Bands A, B and C have continued to complain about inadequate supply, raising questions about the value of electricity services delivered under the various tariff arrangements.
Under the service-based tariff system, Band A customers are entitled to a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily, although some consumers on the category have also reported failing to receive the promised supply.
The situation has been particularly difficult amid intense heat, increasing dependence on generators and alternative energy sources.
Veteran actress Kate Henshaw recently expressed frustration over Nigeria’s electricity challenges, questioning why households continued to bear the burden of generating their own power.
Content creator Cute Abiola also appealed to President Bola Tinubu over the unbearable heat and difficulties Nigerians face in securing alternative electricity.
The rising cost of petrol and diesel has further increased the financial pressure on households and businesses that rely on generators, while the cost of installing solar panels, batteries and inverters remains unaffordable for many consumers.
The worsening situation has also revived scrutiny of President Tinubu’s electricity-related campaign promises ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
During his campaign, Tinubu promised to improve electricity supply and end estimated billing, challenging Nigerians to hold him accountable if he failed to deliver.
He had declared that Nigerians should not vote for him for a second term if he failed to fulfil his promises without providing adequate reasons for the shortfall.
Meanwhile, some Nigerians and civil society organisations have called for the resignation of the Minister of Power over the persistent outages, accusing him of failing to address the country’s electricity challenges.
Their criticism followed Tegbe’s appeal for patience on Saturday, when he promised that electricity supply would improve within 72 hours.
However, the minister announced on Monday that electricity supply had been restored to several areas in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Kwara states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
He attributed part of the disruption to the vandalism of a major 330-kilovolt transmission line, explaining that the affected Benin-Egbin transmission line had been repaired and returned to service.
According to him, the repair increased electricity supply to the Lagos Complex to more than 1,000 megawatts, restoring it to the level recorded before the disruption.
Despite the reported restoration, the latest developments have renewed calls for greater accountability, improved coordination among electricity sector operators and a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s recurring power supply challenges.
