Government Claims 2,000MW Power Surge in Two Years—But Nigerians Still Face Blackouts

In a fiery statement, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has accused Nigeria’s engineering community of failing the country, questioning why power infrastructure remains weak despite the nation producing thousands of engineers. He contrasted the sluggish increase in electricity generation—rising just 2,000MW over 40 years—to what he claimed was an unprecedented leap under President Bola Tinubu, boasting a surge from 4,000MW in 2022 to 6,003MW in less than two years.

Speaking to the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Adelabu bluntly asked why, despite NSE’s existence since 1958, the country still experiences grid collapses. He challenged engineers to step up, calling it a “slight” on their profession that Nigeria still struggles with basic power supply.

His remarks have sparked outrage, with critics slamming the government for shifting blame onto engineers instead of addressing systemic corruption and mismanagement in the power sector. While some applaud the administration’s claimed progress, others question the authenticity of the figures, pointing to continued blackouts and unstable supply.

As the power sector remains a national crisis, Adelabu’s comments add fuel to the debate: Is Nigeria’s energy failure a result of engineering incompetence, or is the government simply deflecting responsibility?