The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians that electricity supply will begin to improve within the next 48 to 72 hours as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to address the challenges responsible for recent power outages across parts of the country.
Tegbe attributed the decline in electricity supply to planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Station in Lagos, which contributes approximately 16 per cent of electricity generated on the national grid. He also identified inadequate gas supply to some thermal power plants as another major factor affecting generation.
In a statement titled Update on Power Situation, shared on his Facebook page on Friday, the minister acknowledged the difficulties faced by residents and businesses in four affected states, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He explained that the combined effect of reduced generation and operational constraints had forced grid operators to introduce load shedding in some locations to manage the available electricity.
The minister further disclosed that damage to critical transmission lines, allegedly caused by sabotage, had limited alternative routes for electricity distribution, particularly in Lagos.
According to him, the Ministry of Power is working with relevant industry operators to restore affected generating units in phases, improve gas availability and accelerate repairs to damaged transmission infrastructure. He expressed optimism that the first generating units would return to operation within 48 to 72 hours.
Meanwhile, the ongoing power situation has sparked disagreements between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Ikeja Electric over the causes of recent electricity interruptions.
TCN rejected Ikeja Electric’s explanation that grid instability was responsible for outages recorded on November 3 and 4, maintaining that insufficient gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced hydroelectric generation were the primary causes.
The transmission company also maintained that it could only distribute the electricity generated and made available to the national grid.
TCN attributed 68 per cent of interruptions on feeders supplying Ikeja Electric to load shedding arising from inadequate generation, while 26 per cent was linked to alleged non-compliance with load allocations and faults or maintenance on Ikeja Electric’s distribution network. The remaining six per cent was attributed to planned maintenance, switching operations and transmission line limitations.
The disagreement followed Ikeja Electric’s apology to customers on some Band A feeders after failing to meet the minimum daily electricity supply requirement of 20 hours on November 3 and 4.
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to working with relevant agencies and electricity distribution companies to resolve the challenges and restore improved power supply across the country.
Source: PlatinumPost / The Punch, November 7, 2026.
