Nigeria Needs $10 Billion Every Year to Fix Power Crisis – Minister of Power Adelabu Reveals at NDA Solar Project Launch

 

In a bold and eye-opening statement, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has revealed that the country needs at least $10 billion (around ₦14.5 trillion) every year for the next 10 to 20 years if it hopes to finally overcome the long-standing problems in the electricity sector.

The Minister made this powerful revelation on Tuesday, May 13, during the official commissioning of a 600kW Solar PV Power Plant (Phase 1) at the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna.

Speaking to a gathering of military officers, government officials, and stakeholders in the power sector, Adelabu explained just how much work is needed to bring reliable, stable, and functional electricity to every part of the country.

In his words, he said:

“For us to achieve functional, reliable, and stable electricity in Nigeria, we need not less than $10 billion annually for the next ten to twenty years. But there are some foundational bottlenecks that we experienced in the past that need to be fixed for the spending of this money to have meaning.”

Fixing the Foundation First

According to Minister Adelabu, the problems in the power sector are not just about money or equipment. He emphasized that some of the key challenges are foundational – problems that have been around for decades and must be resolved before any financial investment can bring real results.

He started by pointing to recent legislative progress made under President Tinubu’s administration. He said:

“Number one is the legislative and policy foundation which this administration has achieved by signing the energy bill into an act. This bill has achieved liberation and decentralization of the power sector to enable all levels of government — federal, state, and local government — to legally and morally play roles in the power sector to give their citizens at sub-national levels.”

What this means is that thanks to the new Electricity Act, states now have the legal authority to generate, transmit, distribute, and meter electricity within their borders — something that was previously controlled only by the federal government. Adelabu added:

“This has given autonomy to more than eleven states and more are still coming. They can now play roles in the power sector from generation to transmission to distribution and even metering.”

Infrastructure Neglect Over 60 Years

The Minister also pointed out that for over six decades, Nigeria has neglected the maintenance and upgrading of key power infrastructure. This has led to massive deficits in the system, especially in transmission infrastructure. He said:

“Secondly, we talk about infrastructure deficit, then we talk about fixing infrastructure deficit which has piled up over the last 60 years due to lack of maintenance, lack of additional investment to revive our transmission grid.”

Metering Is Still a Big Problem

Minister Adelabu didn’t stop there. He also addressed another major issue Nigerians face daily: lack of prepaid meters. Right now, over 50% of electricity consumers in Nigeria are not metered, which leads to unfair estimated billing and dissatisfaction.

But the government has a plan. He said that the Presidential Initiative on Metering will aim to install 18 million new meters across the country within the next five years. If this goal is achieved, it would greatly improve transparency, fairness, and trust between electricity providers and consumers.

Solar Power for the Military – A Step Towards Energy Security

Before sharing his vision for fixing the national power sector, the Minister had earlier addressed officers of the Nigerian Defence Academy during the launch of the NDA's new solar energy project.

The 600kW and 3MW Solar PV Power Plants were completed under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). Adelabu described the project as a symbol of hope and a key part of Nigeria’s energy future.

“I stand before you today at this significant occasion, the commissioning of the 600kW and 3MW Solar PV Power Plant here at the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy.”

“These projects, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency, not only underscore our commitment to improving electrification across key institutions in Nigeria but it is also part of our broader mandate to diversify our energy sources, expand access to clean and reliable electricity, and support critical sectors of our national development, including education and security.”

He explained that the NDA is a vital institution, combining education and military training, and so it is important that it has access to sustainable, renewable power.

“As an institution that combines academic rigour with military excellence, the Nigerian Defence Academy represents a strategic national asset that must be strengthened through sustainable infrastructure.”

“Powering the Academy with renewable energy aligns with our vision for a secure, self-reliant, and energy-efficient Nigeria. It also reflects our commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes accelerated national development through universal energy access.”

Working Hand-in-Hand with the Military to Protect Power Infrastructure

The Minister used the event as an opportunity to thank the Nigerian Armed Forces for the role they play in protecting Nigeria’s power infrastructure from vandals and saboteurs. He stressed that the military’s support is crucial to ensuring electricity projects succeed.

“Importantly, this project also allows us to reflect on the enduring partnership between the Nigerian power sector and the Nigerian Armed Forces. I wish to specially commend and thank the military for its consistent support in protecting critical power infrastructure across the country. Without your steadfast commitment, our efforts to deliver stable and reliable electricity would be significantly constrained.”

Unfortunately, he noted that vandalism and attacks on power infrastructure and workers are still happening. And that’s why the collaboration between the power sector and the military must continue to grow stronger.

“Your role is becoming even more indispensable, given the rising cases of vandalism on critical power assets and attacks on power sector personnel across the country. As part of effort to address this problem, we urge the continued collaboration of the Nigerian Armed Forces in safeguarding the sector’s infrastructure and workforce.”

A Call for Unity and Respect Between the Power Sector and the Military

Towards the end of his speech, Minister Adelabu addressed a recent unfortunate incident involving some military personnel and staff of Ikeja Electric. He called for unity, peace, and mutual respect between the power sector and the armed forces.

“As we deepen this collaboration, it is essential that our partnership is rooted in mutual respect and understanding. Recent developments, such as the regrettable incident involving military personnel and staff of Ikeja Electric, are unfortunate and counterproductive. Such actions undermine the progress we all seek to achieve and should be avoided.”

“The power sector and the military are not on opposing sides; we are allies in the pursuit of national development. Our shared objective is a Nigeria where sustainable electricity supply supports growth, security, and prosperity for all. As we commission these power plants today, let it stand not only as a symbol of clean energy advancement but also as a sign of further cooperation between the Nigerian Power Sector and the Nigeria military.”

Stay with NaijaRush for more updates on Nigeria’s journey to stable and reliable power. We'll keep breaking down the big news in a way you can understand.

Let us know in the comments: Do you believe Nigeria can achieve 24/7 power supply in the next 10 years? What do you think is the real problem with our electricity system?