DisCos Seek End To Power Sector Blame Game

Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) have called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the growing disagreements among operators in Nigeria’s electricity sector.

They warned that the renewed blame game over persistent power shortages could undermine efforts to stabilise electricity supply across the country.

The distribution companies, through the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), urged the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, to provide leadership by bringing critical stakeholders across the electricity value chain together to establish the actual causes of the supply disruptions and ensure accountability.

The appeal comes amid weeks of inadequate electricity supply nationwide, with conflicting explanations from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) over the extent to which gas supply constraints have contributed to declining power generation.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ANED, Sunday Oduntan, made the call on Monday during an interview on Channels Television, where he expressed concern that the electricity industry was returning to the pattern of mutual accusations that characterised the sector between 2016 and 2019.

According to him, the disagreements among distribution companies, transmission operators, generation companies and gas suppliers could further complicate efforts to resolve the country’s electricity challenges if urgent steps were not taken to establish clear responsibilities.

Oduntan recalled that between 2016 and 2019, operators across the electricity value chain routinely attributed inadequate power supply to failures by other participants in the industry rather than working collectively to address the underlying challenges.

He warned that the recurrence of such disagreements was unhealthy for the sector, particularly at a time when households and businesses were already experiencing prolonged electricity disruptions.

He said, “Our major problem is that we have started that very wrong route that we went through between 2016 and 2019. What is that? Blame game.”

He added that distribution companies previously blamed the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), while transmission operators pointed at generation companies, which, in turn, attributed inadequate electricity generation to gas supply constraints and outstanding payments to suppliers.

Oduntan said the industry needed to move away from the cycle of accusations and embrace a coordinated approach that would identify the specific operational and financial constraints affecting electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

He stressed that resolving the disagreements would require the Minister of Power to convene relevant stakeholders, including gas suppliers, generation companies, transmission operators and NISO, to reconcile their positions and establish the facts surrounding the electricity supply constraints.

According to him, the minister’s intervention had become necessary to prevent the disagreements from further affecting the performance of the electricity market.

“This back-and-forth blame game between gas suppliers, NNPC and, of course, TCN or NISO, I think the Minister of Power needs to take charge. There is a need for this leadership because, at the end of the day, they need to call them together,” he said.

The ANED chief executive, however, apologised to Nigerians over the prolonged electricity shortages, acknowledging the hardship households and businesses had experienced over the past several weeks.

He said the distribution companies recognised the impact of inadequate electricity supply on consumers and the need for the industry to take responsibility for addressing the situation.

“I’d like to first of all start by apologising to Nigerians. Apology is needed; it is essential because Nigerians have been taken through this problem over the past few weeks,” Oduntan said.

The latest disagreement among industry operators also highlights the structural and financial challenges confronting Nigeria’s electricity market, where gas availability, payment obligations, generation capacity and transmission infrastructure remain critical determinants of supply reliability.

The development comes after the minister indicated that electricity supply could improve within 48 to 72 hours, following interventions involving maintenance at Egbin Power Station, gas supply constraints and damage to critical transmission infrastructure.

However, the differing explanations from key industry participants have raised questions about the level of coordination across the electricity value chain and the need for greater transparency in reporting the operational challenges affecting power supply.

Industry stakeholders are expected to face increased pressure to provide a common and verifiable account of the constraints, particularly as consumers continue to demand reliable electricity and greater accountability from operators.