Nigeria Needs $10bn Annually To Fix Power Sector’s Challenges

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has disclosed that the country will require an estimated $10 billion annually over the next two decades to permanently address its long-standing power sector challenges.

This is even as he described the task as herculean but non-negotiable, the Minister expressed confidence in the country’s ability to achieve stable and sustainable electricity supply through sustained investment, strategic reforms, and long-term commitment.

Adelabu made this known at the commissioning ceremony of the phase 1-600kw Solar pv power plant at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.

According to the Minister, “for us to achieve functional reliable and stable electricity in Nigeria, we need not less than 10 billion dollars annually for the next ten to twenty years. But there are some foundational bottlenecks that we experienced in the past that needs to be fixed for the spending of this money to have meaning.

“Number one is the legislative and policy foundation which this administration has achieved by signing energy bill into an act. This bill has achieved liberation and decentralization of the power sector to enable all levels of government, federal, state and local governments to legally and morally play roles in the power sector to give their citizens at sub national levels. This has given autonomy to more than eleven states and more are still coming. They can now play roles in the power from generation to transmission to distribution and even metering.”

“Secondly, we talk about infrastructural deficit, then we talk about fixing infrastructure deficit which has piled up over the last 60 years due to lack of maintenance, lack of additional investment to revive our transmission grid.”

Adelabu also emphasized the need to bridge over 50 percent metering gap which he said the Presidential initiative aims to achieve through 18 million meter installation in the next five years.

Earlier, while addressing military officers at the NDA, the Minister said it was an honor commissioning the 600kW and 3MW solar PV power plant at the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy.

“These projects, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency not only underscores our commitment to improving electrification across key institutions in Nigeria but it is also part of our broader mandate to diversify our energy sources, expand access to clean and reliable electricity, and support critical sectors of our national development, including education and security, the Minister said.

Adelabu explained that as an institution that combines academic rigour with military excellence, the Nigerian Defence Academy represents a strategic national asset that must be strengthened through sustainable infrastructure.

“Powering the Academy with renewable energy aligns with our vision for a secure, self-reliant, and energy-efficient Nigeria. It also reflects our commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes accelerated national development through universal energy access.

“Importantly, this project also allows us to reflect on the enduring partnership between the Nigerian power sector and the Nigerian Armed Forces. I wish to specially commend and thank the military for its consistent support in protecting critical power infrastructure across the country. Without your steadfast commitment, our efforts to deliver stable and reliable electricity would be significantly constrained.

“Your role is becoming even more indispensable, given the rising cases of vandalism on critical power assets and attacks on power sector personnel across the country. As part of efforts to address this problem, we urge the continued collaboration of the Nigerian Armed Forces in safeguarding the sector’s infrastructure and workforce.

“As we deepen this collaboration, it is essential that our partnership is rooted in mutual respect and understanding. Recent developments, such as the regrettable incident involving military personnel and staff of Ikeja Electric, are unfortunate and counterproductive. Such actions undermine the progress we all seek to achieve and should be avoided.

“The power sector and the military are not on opposing sides, we are allies in the pursuit of national development. Our shared objective is a Nigeria where sustainable electricity supply supports growth, security, and prosperity for all.

“As we commission these power plants today, let it stand not only as a symbol of clean energy advancement but also as a sign of further cooperation between the Nigerian Power Sector and the Nigeria military”, the Minister emphasized.

In his welcome address, the NDA Commandant, Major General Abdul Ibrahim, expressed appreciation and satisfaction with the initiative in the power sector and assured synergy with the Ministry of Power.