Nigeria’s Energy Transition Reduces Generator Dependence, Petrol Complaints – Power minister

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that many Nigerians have stopped complaining about the high cost of petrol because they are no longer solely reliant on generators for electricity.

Speaking during his keynote address at the 2024 Nigeria Energy Exhibition and Conference in Lagos, Adelabu addressed the theme, “Breaking Barriers in the New Energy Era: Clean, Reliable and Sustainable,” and discussed the country’s evolving energy landscape.

His remarks come amid rising petrol prices, which have recently spiked to between ₦998 and ₦1,030 per litre after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) ended its sole off-taker arrangement with the Dangote Refinery. This increase has led to higher transportation costs, food prices, and essential household expenses.

Adelabu also emphasized the federal government’s commitment to improving energy access and announced plans to replace generators across the country, aligning with Lagos State’s policy to replace 1 million generators within a year.

He explained, “People no longer need to buy as much petrol for power as they used to. If they were still paying ₦1000 per litre for petrol to generate electricity, the public outcry would be much louder. Our goal is to replace all generators in line with Lagos State’s initiative.”

Reflecting on the slow pace of power generation growth, Adelabu lamented, “It took nearly 40 years to increase our power generation by 2,000MW since reaching 2,000MW in 1984. Today, we’ve reached an average of 5,000MW, with a peak of 5,527MW on September 3rd. We are determined to move forward. If the best time for progress was 50 years ago, the next best time is now, and this should motivate us.”