Nigeria requires $10 billion every year for the next 20 years to achieve a reliable and steady electricity supply, according to Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
Speaking at the inauguration of a 2.5-megawatt solar hybrid power project at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna State, the minister highlighted the country’s longstanding power sector challenges, attributing the gap in infrastructure to inadequate maintenance, insufficient investment, and an outdated transmission grid system that has been neglected for over six decades.
Adelabu emphasized that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is actively working to address the chronic power shortages that have plagued Nigeria.
“To achieve functional, reliable, and stable electricity across Nigeria, we need at least $10 billion annually for the next 20 years,” Adelabu said. “However, we first need to resolve foundational bottlenecks that have hindered progress in the past for this investment to yield tangible results.”
The minister further pointed to the recent signing of the energy bill into law as a critical move towards addressing the sector’s challenges.
“This bill has effectively decentralized the power sector, allowing federal, state, and local governments to play key roles in providing electricity to their communities,” he explained. “More than 11 states now have autonomy in the sector, allowing them to handle everything from generation to transmission, distribution, and even metering.”
Adelabu underscored that tackling the infrastructure deficit, which has accumulated over 60 years due to neglect and a lack of investment, is vital to improving Nigeria’s power supply.
