The Federal Government has apologised to Nigerians over the recent spate of power outages, while assuring citizens of imminent improvements nationwide.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, made the pledge on Tuesday during a press conference outlining his achievements over the past three years.

“I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially now, coming from me as the Minister of Power, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship being experienced, especially during this dry season, where there is so much heat everywhere,” he said.

“Businesses are being affected, schools have been affected, and industries have been affected. It is not our wish to find ourselves in this situation, but it is due to some factors that are actually beyond our control.”

Mr. Adelabu attributed the current challenges to gas supply shortfalls affecting generation companies, largely due to substantial debts owed to gas suppliers.

He warned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could further exacerbate the situation.

In recent weeks, Nigerians have endured persistent power outages, prompting widespread calls for urgent government intervention.

Nigeria’s power sector relies heavily on gas-fired plants, which have continued to experience disruptions due to inadequate gas supply, pipeline maintenance challenges, ageing infrastructure, and liquidity constraints.

“These issues collectively impact both the quantity and quality of gas delivered to power plants, leading to underutilisation of installed generation capacity, increased outages, and inefficiencies in power production,” the minister said.

To address these challenges, Adelabu proposed scaling up renewable energy solutions, particularly off-grid and mini-grid systems.

“Renewable energy offers a cost-effective and sustainable pathway to expand access without overburdening the national grid,” he said.

He also advocated the integration of additional renewable energy into the national grid to diversify energy sources and reduce overall generation costs, particularly by lowering dependence on gas-fired power.

“Integrating utility-scale solar, hydro, and other renewables will also enhance energy security and support climate objectives,” he added.

“This will require investments in grid monitoring and control systems, and system planning, to effectively manage intermittency while maintaining grid stability.”

On his political future, Adelabu—who has been linked by observers to the Oyo State governorship race in 2027—did not confirm any intention to contest.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier directed all federal appointees with political ambitions to resign by March 31.

However, the minister noted that he still had time before the deadline and reiterated his commitment to serving either at the national or subnational level.