The Nigerian federal government has announced ongoing plans to deliver a minimum of 20 hours of daily electricity supply to consumers across the country by 2027.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verheijen, disclosed the ambitious target at the Energy Week held in Cape Town, South Africa, stating that this goal will hinge on increased investments in the oil and gas sector.

A statement from the State House Director of Information and Publicity, Abiodun Oladunjoye, on Thursday quoted Verheijen as saying, “By 2027, Nigeria aims to ensure 20 hours of electricity daily for consumers in urban areas and industrial hubs.”

According to the statement, the projection aligns with President Tinubu’s administration’s broader objective to deliver more consistent and reliable electricity access to the 86 million Nigerians currently underserved.

She noted that the programme will also focus on strengthening revenue assurance and collection mechanisms within the power sector.

This development comes as Nigeria grapples with the persistent issue of national grid instability, which has led to repeated power blackouts.

Tribune Online reports that the National Grid suffered yet another collapse on Thursday, making it two times in three days.

The first blackout of the year occurred on 4 February, when the grid’s capacity dropped sharply from 2,407 megawatts to only 31 megawatts by midday, resulting in a complete shutdown by 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has offered insight into reasons behind the frequent grid collapses, stating that they are primarily due to load rejections by Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies (DisCos).

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by Adam Mosadioluwa