The persistent nationwide power outage experienced by electricity consumers has been as a result of the current shutdown of the nine power generating plants in the country.
The Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, confirmed the development on Thursday in a series of tweets through his personal Twitter handle, @EngrSMamman.
The tweets were retweeted through the official Twitter handle of the Federal Ministry of Power, @PowerMinNigeria.
The minister said the plants were shut down for various reasons, including the routine annual maintenance, gas supply constraints and water management issues.
He listed affected power plants to include the Sapele, Afam, Olonrunsogo, Omotosho, Ibom, Egbin, Alaoji and Ihovbor National Integrated Power Plants (NIPPs) as well as the Jebba power plant.
The seven other integrated power plants experiencing gas supply constraints include Geregu, Sepele, Omotosho, Gbarain, Omuku, Paras and Alaoji, while the Shiroro hydroelectric power plant has water management issues.
“I sincerely regret the recent Power outages across the Nation and the difficulties it has brought with it, and wish to assure my Fellow Nigerians that everyone involved is working assiduously to restore the National grid to its previous historical levels and exceed that.
“The problem is caused by the breakdown of some National Integrated Power Plants supplying electricity to the national grid. The plants are namely, Sapele, Afam, Olonrunsogo, Omotosho, Ibom, Egbin, Alaoji and Ihovbor. The Jebba Power Plant was shut down for annual maintenance.
“Seven other integrated Power plants, namely Geregu, Sepele, Omotosho, Gbarain, Omuku, Paras and Alaoji are experiencing gas constraints, while the Shiroro hydroelectric power plant has water management issues,” the Minister said.
TlIn a separate statement, the Ministry’s spokesperson, Aaron Artimas, said: “The Ministry of Power is not unaware of the current power outages and shortages bedeviling many parts of the country.
“The problem is caused by the breakdown of some National Integrated Power Plants supplying electricity to the national grid.
The ministry said the unfortunate development has drastically affected power generation in the country, thus effectively minimising the output through the national grid.
The minister apologize to Nigerians over the situation and the inconveniences the power shortages were causing.
He assured electricity consumers that the ministry, through the appropriate agencies was working assiduously to rectify the technical problems affecting the plants as well as resolving the gas supply issues to the others.
