Improved electricity supply in parts of Ibadan has renewed optimism among residents and businesses, with some households reporting enough power to keep their generators switched off for extended periods.
Moyosore Gaffar, in a commentary on the development, cited experiences from Apete and Adegbayi, where residents took to social media to celebrate sustained electricity supply.
One resident said the improvement had become noticeable enough for her to switch off her generator, while another praised the consistency of supply in Adegbayi.
The reported improvement has also been linked to reduced operating costs for small businesses that rely heavily on electricity, including barbers, tailors, cold-room operators and digital businesses.
Gaffar argued that more predictable electricity could also help manufacturing and commercial businesses reduce dependence on diesel-powered generators and improve production planning.
The development was linked to the electricity-sector strategy being promoted by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, who has emphasised measuring the impact of electricity supply on households and businesses rather than focusing only on generation figures.
“We don’t just want to count megawatts; we want to be able to count how electricity is impacting Nigerians,” Tegbe said.
According to Gaffar, the ministry’s approach has focused on coordination across generation, transmission and distribution, while addressing what Tegbe identified as governance and execution challenges within the sector.
“This sector faces serious challenges. Technical issues account for only a fraction of those challenges. The larger challenge is governance. No agency, no department, no unit can solve this sector’s problems alone,” Tegbe said.
Gaffar also pointed to efforts to restore dormant generation capacity, expand transmission infrastructure and revive major power facilities, citing the return of the 450MW Alaoji Plant after three years as one of the developments.
The National Electricity Regulatory Commission has also increased enforcement of consumer-protection measures, according to the commentary.
While acknowledging that longstanding problems in the electricity sector cannot be resolved immediately, Gaffar said the experiences reported by residents and businesses suggested that improvements were being felt in some communities.
For households that have long relied on generators to preserve food and run basic appliances, he argued, more reliable electricity represents a direct change in daily life.
“Under Tinubu, Nigerians’ freezers will continue to freeze,” Gaffar concluded.
Under Tinubu, Nigerians’ freezers will continue to freeze — Moyosore Gaffar
