‘Minister’s promise to fix outage in 2 weeks unrealistic’

Following the power outage across the country, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, a few days ago tendered an apology to Nigerians, saying the problem will be fixed within two weeks. Daily Trust sought the views of citizens on that pledge. Olasupo Abideen, Global Director, Brian Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), said. What happens in […]

Following the power outage across the country, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, a few days ago tendered an apology to Nigerians, saying the problem will be fixed within two weeks. Daily Trust sought the views of citizens on that pledge.

Olasupo Abideen, Global Director, Brian Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), said.

What happens in the next two weeks will be very telling. I am not dismissing the claim outright, but I remain cautious. Let us wait and see whether there will be any tangible improvement within that time frame.

If, however, there is a sudden and significant turnaround in just two weeks, it would raise serious concerns. It would suggest that the prolonged electricity challenges Nigerians have endured over the years may not have been entirely due to incapacity, but perhaps a lack of urgency or deliberate delay, possibly tied to political timing or calculations.

A responsible leader should first acknowledge the existence of a problem, take ownership, and engage the public in honest dialogue on how to address it. The Minister of Power was appointed to confront the persistent electricity crisis that has affected millions of Nigerians for years.

From my perspective, promising to resolve such a deep-rooted issue within two weeks appears unrealistic and leans more toward a political statement than a practical solution. The power sector challenges are structural and cannot be meaningfully fixed in such a short period.

The consequences of this long-standing problem have been severe. Many small businesses have collapsed due to their reliance on electricity. Countless Nigerians struggle daily with discomfort, especially at night, often forced to sleep in open spaces due to heat and poor power supply.

This situation is deeply concerning. While I remain open-minded, I am not convinced that meaningful change can occur within two weeks. Time will tell whether this is a genuine effort or simply political rhetoric.

 

Dr Tola Winjobi, the National Coordinator of Fairaction Nigeria

It’s laughable! Ask me what tense that [promise] is in the English Language. I will say it is a ‘future-impossible’ tense. They should tell us how they are going to do it. If they do it, how [is it] sustainable? What is the gimmick they have not tried before that will now work in two weeks? Telling Nigerians this is an admittance of their palpable failure. Indeed systemic failure! This is clear evidence of executive incompetence and ineptitude of years past.

Some communities in Ibadan or even Oyo State have not seen electricity for over 12 months. What difference will the promise of 2 weeks make to those people? They bandied consumers into different bands against their wishes and financial capacity. Where is that being done? Yet some areas with Band A are still suffering epileptic power supply, while those in Band C or even worse Band D have forgotten about electricity because theirs is Never Expect Power At all.

Gencos and Discos are so adept at vacillating. Yesterday it was too much water overflowing in Kainji, causing the surge. Today, it is insufficient gas to power the grid to supply light. Now it is the national grid that is collapsing. So they will raise the sleeping grid in two weeks; what happens thereafter?

For how long are they going to be trading blame? Yesterday, we read in the news that the Minister for Power was begging Nigerians, apologizing for his failure. Is it not a shame that Nigeria is still suffering the problem of power despite a huge amount of funds injected into that sector compared to our neighbouring countries? And we say we are the Giant of Africa.

Apart from IPP (Independent Power Producer), renewable energy sources like wind, solar, etc., are the way. But are they affordable?

 

Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, Executive Director, Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA)

The current power outage is deeply troubling. Since independence, successive governments have spent billions of dollars in attempts to fix Nigeria’s electricity problem, including the present administration. There have been multiple interventions, including loans from the World Bank and other international institutions, yet the situation has not improved in any meaningful or sustainable way.

This is why the recent two-week promise raises serious questions. I am not convinced about how far it can realistically go. At best, it may result in a temporary or cosmetic improvement rather than a lasting solution.

Nigeria’s generation capacity still hovers around 5,000 megawatts, which is grossly inadequate for a population of over 200 million people. When you compare this with countries like South Africa, which generates far more electricity despite having a smaller population, the gap becomes even more glaring. Even Ghana has achieved a relatively stable power supply system where citizens are properly informed ahead of outages.

Given these structural challenges, it is difficult to see what realistic and sustainable action can be taken within two weeks to permanently address the crisis. What may be achieved within that short period is likely to be a stopgap or fire brigade approach rather than a comprehensive fix.

To me, this appears more like a political statement aimed at creating the impression that something tangible is being done. While I remain open-minded, I am skeptical about the feasibility of such a promise translating into meaningful change within that time frame. Ultimately, time will reveal the true intention and impact. For now, Nigerians can only watch, wait, and hope for genuine progress.

 

Moshood Adebola, a Lagos businessman

Two weeks? You cannot cure decades of systemic decay with a fortnight of political theatre. Every hour of darkness, my cold chain collapses. Small businesses hemorrhage capital. Manufacturers run on diesel, not profit. This is not a national embarrassment alone; it is an economic strangulation.

Nigerians do not want promises. Nigerians want the grid to operate 24 hours and for DISCOs to bill based on actual consumption at an affordable rate, not on estimated/crazy billing. I want to see my meters functioning before I hear another deadline.

Two weeks cannot restore what years of neglect have broken. But two weeks of visible, verifiable action—not press releases—will tell me if this minister is serious or simply rehearsing old songs.

 

Zahradeen Isa, a second-hand electronics dealer in Kano

I have learnt not to rely on the power supply from the national grid again. KEDCO officials came Today (Thursday) to distribute bills before the month’s end, but there was no supply in the last couple of days. They are still expecting us to pay the bill at the end of the day. Where is the power? The government said two weeks, but I doubt if that is possible. Maybe we should be praying to God.