Civil society organisations and everyday Nigerians have urged the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, to step down from his post following persistent electricity outages across the country. The demand comes on the heels of explanations offered by the minister concerning the recent decline in nationwide power generation.
According to a report by Punch, the public backlash gained momentum after the minister posted updates on X detailing the causes of the current blackouts. Tegbe explained that the disruptions stemmed from scheduled maintenance at the Egbin Power Station alongside limited gas supplies to thermal stations. He stated that his team was working in stages to reactivate affected units and assured the public that restoration would occur within 48 to 72 hours.
In an additional update, the minister revealed that his ministry had successfully cleared 98 out of 300 containers carrying transmission components that had been stuck at ports for nearly two decades. Tegbe noted that releasing these long-delayed supplies would help unfreeze stalled infrastructure, reduce strain on overloaded substations, and bolster the national grid.
Despite these assurances, critics took to social media to reject the ministry's position, accusing authorities of offering recurring excuses. Official distribution figures showed that the country's 11 electricity distribution companies received a collective allocation of 2,926 megawatts on Thursday afternoon. Furthermore, the Nigerian Independent System Operator pointed to low gas volumes and declining water levels at hydroelectric dams as primary bottlenecks limiting generation.
Reactions from civil society leaders were swift. The National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Yinka Folarin, dismissed the minister’s remarks, arguing that the excuses were unsustainable and that Tegbe should step aside for a more competent official. Folarin also raised concerns about unfair billing, pointing out that citizens continue to face high electricity charges despite enduring weeks of darkness.
Similarly, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onwubiko, expressed disappointment over the management of the power sector. Onwubiko questioned previous assertions from the minister and urged anti-graft bodies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to look into the ministry's financial management.
