- Minister Adebayo Adelabu has urged Nigerian youths to support President Tinubu’s energy reforms, highlighting recent power generation and infrastructure improvements.
- During a meeting with APC youth leader Dr Dayo Israel, Adelabu outlined ongoing efforts to enhance Nigeria’s power sector and invited engagement in the upcoming Youth Summit focused on energy policies.
Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has called on Nigerian youths to actively support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s energy reforms and policies. Adelabu emphasized that the ongoing transformation in the power sector aims to provide more reliable and affordable electricity to Nigerians, a critical component of the government’s broader agenda to enhance the quality of life.
Adelabu’s appeal came during a meeting on Monday with Dr Dayo Israel, the national youth leader of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), who visited to discuss the upcoming Youth Summit scheduled for September 3-5 in Abuja. The summit will focus on engaging youth in shaping the country’s future, particularly concerning energy and power policies.
Adelabu used the opportunity to brief Israel and his team on the government’s efforts to address Nigeria’s long-standing power sector issues. He acknowledged the significant challenges faced due to historical mismanagement and underinvestment, which have left the country with an unreliable power supply. The minister stressed that President Tinubu’s reforms are essential to correcting these issues and moving Nigeria towards a more robust energy infrastructure.
Highlighting the complexities of Nigeria’s governance structure, Adelabu explained that the high cost of governance is partly due to the constitutional requirement for a bicameral legislature and the appointment of ministers from each state and geopolitical zone. He noted that meaningful reforms to reduce these costs would require constitutional amendments, which cannot be achieved through mere executive pronouncements.
Adelabu also addressed the recent protests by youths demanding better governance, urging them to understand the constraints posed by the current constitutional framework on reducing operational costs. He reiterated the need for patience and support for the ongoing reforms, which include efforts to decentralize the power sector, develop a comprehensive National Integrated Electricity Policy, and upgrade infrastructure through partnerships with foreign investors.
In the power sector specifically, Adelabu reported notable progress under Tinubu’s administration. He highlighted an increase in power generation from 4,000 megawatts to 5,155 megawatts within a year, with a target of reaching 6,000 megawatts by December. The minister also mentioned the government’s commitment to addressing the high cost of electricity for institutions like universities and small businesses through the Rural Electrification Agency’s renewable energy initiatives.
Dr. Dayo Israel praised the improvements in the power supply and invited Adelabu to speak at the Progressives Young Leaders Summit. The summit aims to give Nigerian youths a platform to contribute to national policies and the administration’s renewed hope agenda, particularly in energy and power sector advancements.