The President of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Mr Adeyeye Adebiyi, has called for sustained investment in Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure to ensure that recent improvements in power supply are maintained.
Adebiyi made the call while speaking on the Ask the Expert segment of Trade FM’s Breakfast Business Briefing, where he assessed recent developments in the nation’s electricity sector.
His comments followed the Federal Government’s disclosure that electricity generation had recently reached a peak of 5,330 megawatts.
According to him, the increase in generation represents a positive development, but remains below the level Nigeria requires to provide reliable electricity to homes and businesses.
He said the country should be targeting a significant increase in generation capacity, stressing that the current output should be regarded as a step towards addressing the nation’s long-standing electricity deficit rather than an achievement to celebrate.
Adebiyi, however, noted that some Nigerians were already experiencing longer hours of electricity supply, with some communities reportedly receiving between 12 and 18 hours daily.
He explained that the improvement was not uniform across the country, particularly because challenges in transmission and distribution infrastructure continue to limit the amount of electricity that can reach some communities.
The NUEE president identified inadequate transformers, weak distribution networks, faulty conductors and other infrastructure deficiencies as some of the factors responsible for the disparities in electricity supply across communities.
He also stressed that improved generation alone would not guarantee reliable electricity if the transmission and distribution systems were unable to evacuate and deliver the available power to end users.
Adebiyi attributed some of the recent improvement in the sector to increased gas supply to generating companies, investments by generation companies and efforts to strengthen the transmission network.
He also pointed to the relative reduction in national grid collapses as an indication that some interventions in the transmission system were beginning to yield results.
According to him, several challenges experienced in 2025, including system collapses, underscored the need for urgent upgrades to the transmission network.
On electricity tariffs and subsidy, Adebiyi argued that affordability should remain a major consideration as the government seeks to improve service delivery.
He maintained that Nigeria had not yet reached the level of generation, transmission and distribution required to make a complete withdrawal of support for electricity consumers sustainable.
The NUEE president said subsidy, when properly targeted, could help protect consumers who may struggle to meet the cost of electricity, particularly as households and businesses continue to deal with economic pressures.
He also warned that accumulated tariff shortfalls could eventually place additional pressure on government finances and make it more difficult to fund investments required to expand and maintain electricity infrastructure.
Adebiyi further questioned the effectiveness of the existing electricity band classification system, which places customers in Bands A to E based largely on expected hours of supply.
He argued that customers should be properly metered so they can understand and manage their electricity consumption, rather than relying solely on geographical or network-based classifications.
According to him, communities connected to the same distribution infrastructure can have significantly different experiences despite being placed under similar classifications.
He said proper metering would enable consumers to monitor their usage and adjust their consumption accordingly, while also helping electricity distribution companies improve revenue collection.
Adebiyi also called attention to the challenges facing rural communities, noting that the presence of electricity infrastructure in an area does not necessarily mean residents are receiving adequate or reliable electricity.
He said the government and electricity operators must ensure that improvements in supply extend beyond urban centres to underserved and rural communities.
On the Federal Government’s plans to stabilise key transmission corridors and develop a transmission supergrid, Adebiyi said such investments could significantly improve the reliability and efficiency of Nigeria’s electricity system if properly implemented.
He explained that the transmission network serves as the link between generation and distribution, carrying high-voltage electricity across the country.
According to him, a modern, high-capacity transmission supergrid would also improve monitoring of the national electricity network and enable operators to identify and respond more quickly to faults and disruptions across different regions.
However, he identified vandalism of electricity infrastructure as one of the major challenges that must be addressed alongside the planned transmission upgrades.
Adebiyi said protecting transmission infrastructure from vandalism would be essential to ensuring that investments in the national grid translate into sustained improvements in electricity supply.
He maintained that Nigeria would need to simultaneously address generation capacity, transmission infrastructure, distribution networks, metering, infrastructure security and affordability if it is to achieve a more reliable electricity system.
The NUEE president’s comments come amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Government and stakeholders in the electricity sector to increase power generation and strengthen the national grid.
