Tag: Adelabu

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has expressed gratitude to the people of Ibadanland and Oyo State for the warm reception accorded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his visit to the city for the coronation of Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Arusa I, as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, last Friday.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu described the warm reception as an honour not only to the President, but also to the country.

He also extended appreciation to the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), party members, the state executive, Governor Seyi Makinde, fellow governors and members of the National Assembly from Oyo State for their support.

“My dear people of Ibadanland, the state leadership and members of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, other governors in attendance, and distinguished legislators, I express my deepest appreciation, not just as the Minister of Power, but first and foremost as a proud son of this historic city. The coronation of our revered monarch, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Arusa I, was a moment of pride, culture and unity. Yet, one moment stood out—the extraordinary welcome you gave to our President, which has since captured national attention,” Adelabu said.

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He noted that the warm and enthusiastic reception demonstrated the unity and spirit of the people of Ibadan.

“From the moment the President’s convoy entered the heart of the city, the atmosphere was electrifying. The cheers, the celebrations, and the sheer turnout of people were not mere formalities, but a genuine expression of support. As many have observed, it was the warmest and most organic reception President Tinubu has received since his inauguration. This was the authentic voice of Ibadan—speaking with unity, courage and conviction in support of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Adelabu said President Tinubu was visibly touched by the reception and conveyed his deep gratitude to the Olubadan-in-Council and the people of Ibadan.

“Your actions reaffirmed Ibadan’s strategic and symbolic role in Nigeria’s political and socio-economic life. You have strengthened the bond between the Federal Government and the people of Oyo State, sending a strong message of unity, solidarity and hope to the nation,” he said.

The minister pledged renewed commitment to national development, particularly in the power sector.

“As your son, I am immensely proud. As a minister in an administration you have embraced with such warmth, I am re-energised to work harder. Your support motivates us to intensify reforms and investments in power generation, transmission and distribution so that the dividends of democracy reach Ibadan, Oyo State and the entire country.”

He concluded by offering prayers for the new Olubadan’s reign. “On behalf of Mr. President and the Federal Government, I once again say thank you. May the reign of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Arusa I, be long, peaceful and prosperous. Long live Ibadanland, long live Oyo State and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Minister for Power and an All Progressives Congress (APC )chieftain in Oyo State, Chief  yesterday described the party’s loss in the Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election as painful but instructive, stressing that the defeat should serve as a wake-up call for the APC to embark on genuine reconciliation, heal internal rifts, and rebuild trust with the electorate ahead of 2027.

He noted that the setback underscored the urgent need for unity and introspection within the APC, warning against complacency and internal divisions that erode voter confidence.

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The minister cautioned that ignoring grievances or taking supporters for granted would be detrimental, urging stakeholders to prioritize collective responsibility over personal ambition.

“This is not the time for blame games but for genuine reconciliation and renewed commitment to the people’s welfare,” he said.

Adelabu dismissed claims that he influenced the emergence of the APC candidate in the by-election, insisting that he supported the party’s choice wholeheartedly.

The Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, as well as the Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Professor Jesse Otegbayo, have commended the Federal Government for shortlisting the institutions as beneficiaries of the recently approved key electricity projects.

The duo spoke in their separate remarks while fielding questions from reporters at the induction ceremony for 29 graduates of the department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan on Tuesday.

Speaking, the UI VC, who was elated at the inclusion of the premier institutions on the list of beneficiaries, said the cost of power supply to run the institution has been a major challenge that has been gulping huge resources of the institution.

He said, “There’s no doubt that the issue of electricity cuts across all the activities of the university, and you know that recent moves with the electricity company moving from band A to band B and so on. A substantial amount of our resources is directed towards generating electricity.

“In many universities, I’m sure the average amount spent every month is more than N100 million, so we are spending more than a billion on the provision of electricity alone. So if you can have this private electricity supply, it will definitely aid and promote activities in the university.

“For the University of Ibadan, I was told that they will be able to supply about 13megawatts of electricity. That will be very, very excellent, because I can say that even after about five years, we will not be able to get to that, because now the full load that we need for the university is just about 11 megawatts.

“So with 13MW, you will see that we have already been strategic about it. In the next five years, we will not have any cause to run helter-skelter about electricity Supply.

“So on behalf of all the universities, I want to thank the federal government, and also particularly the Minister of Power.”

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Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Professor Jesse Otegbayo, said the news was a huge relief for the management, noting that constant electricity will no doubt increase the productivity and efficiency of the facility.

Expressing deep appreciation to President Tinubu, the UCH CMD said the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President is working and turning the healthcare sector around positively.

Prof Otegbayo said, “My first reaction is that I feel like breaking dancing because electricity or the lack of it has been a major impediment to effective and efficient health care service delivery in this country.

“So, having this pronounced by our president, it is something that brings ecstasy, I must say, to us at the University College Hospital as the leading health care service delivery institution.

“Over 80 percent of our equipment that we use is powered by electricity. And can you imagine when it is erratic and inadequate? This will make us unable to render our clinical services as it is required.

“So, therefore, when I had that pronouncement, I quickly took a bottle of Coke, which is what I use to relax, at least. This Renewed Hope agenda is working, and is working for us in the health care space in this country and also at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. We are so happy and grateful to Mr. President for this kind gesture in bringing light to our institution.

“This will double our productivity, it will double our efficiency, it will double our effectiveness, and it will relieve our patients, it will improve patient outcomes, it will improve patient experience.

“The waiting time of patients, because there is no power to do X-rays, to do a CT scan, will no longer be there. Therefore, we are pushing forward with the agenda of Mr. President to make sure that our patients continue to have the best that any health institution in the world can offer.”

The Nation reports that the Federal Executive Council recently approved N68.7 billion for key electricity projects in universities and teaching hospitals across Nigeria.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this after the FEC meeting, held on Thursday, July 31st, and chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja

He said the projects reflect the government’s resolve to ensure a steady electricity supply in vital sectors like health and education, adding that the university project involves engineering, procurement, and construction under the Energising Education Programme, led by the Rural Electrification Agency.

The newly approved funding, according to the Minister, will support electrification in eight additional universities and teaching hospitals nationwide.

They include, University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the University of Ibadan, with its University College Hospital, the University of Calabar and the Federal University, Wukari.

…hints FG working towards fully cost-reflective regime

Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has disclosed that $15.5 billion of the $32.8 billion required to achieve the Mission 300 Compact will be sourced from the private sector.

He disclosed this at the Mission 300 Stakeholders Engagement meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Power on Tuesday.

The Mission 300 initiative aims to provide electricity to 300 million unserved people across Africa. Adelabu noted that the Federal Government remains committed to driving reforms that will place the power sector on a sustainable and bankable path, critical to Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

The minister said the stakeholders’ meeting was a strategic platform to align priorities and forge partnerships, calling on development partners, private sector investors, philanthropists, government agencies, and civil society organisations to support the ambitious energy access goal.

“This engagement is a vital step as we move from the Nigeria Energy Compact to tangible outcomes,” he said.

“Mobilising this level of financing will demand innovation, coordination, and a shared commitment.

“In this room today are many of the institutions and individuals who can help us shape the future of Nigeria’s energy sector. Let us take this opportunity to ask hard questions, identify the practical solutions, and develop actionable plans that will make universal access a reality not just in the policy space, but in the daily lives of our citizens by powering our hospitals, our schools, our industries, and our homes”, Adelabu said.

He announced the priorities of the government in power sector reforms to include “addressing the market liquidity issues and initiating required sector reforms”.

“Currently”, he added, “there’s a huge outstanding debt to the Power Generation companies in the form of unpaid government subsidies, which stands at about ₦4trn as of December 2024.

“The federal government is already working out modalities to defray this obligation and to ensure that further obligations are not accrued going forward, the government is working on a plan to transition the sector to a fully cost-reflective regime while implementing targeted subsidies for the economically vulnerable citizens in the country.

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“Improving our power generation through recovery of idle capacities and expanding energy mix to ensure energy security, and to dilute the power pool with cheaper and cleaner energy sources”.

Other areas he identified included “Expanding transmission infrastructure to deliver more power, ensuring stability of the national grid to put an end to several grid disturbances and collapses previously observed on the grid, and to further strengthen the coordination and management of the national grid.

“Ensuring viability and performance improvement of the distribution segment of the power sector through strategic programs like the Presidential Metering Initiative and the World Bank-funded Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP)”.

The Minister also said that the Power Ministry is pursuing increased renewable energy through its rural electrification and energy transition drive, to provide a reliable power supply to unserved and underserved communities.

Through its training institute, the Ministry is also working to improve human capital and local content development in the sector to reduce import dependence, stimulate jobs, and build a homegrown energy industry.

“I assure you”, he continued “that the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is fully committed to this vision and through the Federal Ministry of Power, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, we will continue to champion reforms, promote innovation, and partner with all stakeholders to deliver a sustainable energy future”.

He expressed the appreciation of the Federal Government to the World Bank Group under the leadership of Mr Ajay Banga and the African Development Bank under the leadership of the outgoing Managing Director of the Bank,  Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and Sustainable Energy for All for taking on this mission to connect 300 million people across Africa to electricity by the year 2030 through the Mission 300 initiative, saying, “this ambition reflects our shared belief that energy access is a fundamental issue that must be urgently addressed to unlock economic potential of the continent”.

According to Adelabu, in January 2025 at the Dar es Salaam Africa Energy Summit, President Tinubu joined eleven other African Heads of State in endorsing the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration and formally committing the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Mission 300.

“We presented our National Energy Compact, a bold statement of intent and ambition to fast-track access to both electricity and clean cooking for all Nigerians with the aim of achieving universal access by 2030 by increasing the rate of electricity access from 4 percent to 9 percent per annum and raising access to clean cooking from 22 percent to 25 percent per annum”, he said.

The Minister of Finance, Chief Wale Edun, who spoke through Zoom from Brazil, also said that the reforms the government was undertaking in the power sector were critical towards unlocking the full potential of the economy, as it would lead to job creation. He said the reforms have led to over 40 percent increase in power distribution in the first quarter of 2025.

Present at the meeting were the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Nnaji, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, the World Bank Officers, the head of agencies in the Power Ministry, and partners in the sector.