Kate Henshaw has criticised Nigeria’s persistent electricity crisis, questioning why reliable power supply remains a challenge in 2026 despite years of government spending and repeated promises to improve the sector. In a strongly worded video shared on social media on Friday, November 6, the actress directly challenged the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, over the worsening outages affecting households and businesses.
She commented "There’s no light. Sometimes, electricity only lasts for five minutes. Imagine that in 2026, Nigeria is still struggling with the problem of inadequate electricity supply. Homes are gradually turning into factories, as everyone is now forced to generate their own power using generators and solar energy just to carry out basic daily activities.”
Expressing her frustration, Henshaw described a situation in which electricity sometimes returns for barely five minutes before disappearing again. She questioned a reported explanation that some Nigerians had allegedly asked the government to reduce electricity supply because their freezer contents were becoming too cold. The actress demanded to know who made such complaints and why Nigerians were still being subjected to unreliable power.
Her criticism extended beyond the frequency of blackouts to the growing financial burden placed on electricity consumers. Henshaw observed that Nigerian households are increasingly operating like factories, with residents purchasing generators, inverters and solar systems simply to maintain basic domestic activities.
She also questioned the justification for continued electricity bills when consumers must spend additional money generating their own power.
Her comments come amid another period of widespread electricity disruptions across parts of Nigeria, including Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states. On November 5, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) attributed the latest decline in supply to inadequate gas deliveries to thermal generating stations and reduced water inflows affecting hydroelectric power plants. These constraints have reduced available generation and forced electricity distribution companies to allocate less power to consumers.
The Federal Government has acknowledged the disruptions. Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe has directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria, NISO and electricity distribution companies to address the operational constraints, accelerate maintenance work and work towards restoring supply. However, the explanations have done little to ease public frustration as households continue to experience reduced electricity.
The scale of the problem also raises questions about the financial performance of the electricity industry. According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission's second-quarter 2026 report, electricity distribution companies billed customers ₦744.67 billion during the quarter and collected ₦603.64 billion. The report also put the national customer metering rate at 62 per cent, while average actual distribution losses stood at 36 per cent, compared with an allowed average target of 16.92 per cent.
Beyond the immediate inconvenience, unreliable electricity has created an additional layer of household expenditure. Generator users must continually purchase fuel and maintain their equipment, while those investing in solar systems face substantial upfront costs. Small businesses must also factor alternative electricity generation into their operating expenses, potentially affecting prices, productivity and profitability.
A household may pay an electricity bill, purchase petrol for a generator, invest in an inverter or solar installation, and still face interruptions. This means the cost of electricity is no longer limited to what appears on a monthly bill. It includes the additional money, equipment, maintenance and time required to compensate for unreliable supply.
The growing dependence on private power generation also creates an unequal experience of electricity access. Households that can afford solar installations have more options, while lower-income families remain exposed to outages, fuel expenses and the discomfort that comes with prolonged blackouts.
The observation raised by Kate Henshaw goes beyond when electricity will return. It is about accountability, affordability and the fundamental expectation that a modern economy should be able to provide reliable electricity to its citizens.
In 2026, should Nigerians still have to build miniature power stations in their homes just to enjoy the basic conveniences of everyday life?
No comments:
Post a Comment