The Coalition of Concerned Progressives (COCOP), a civil society group in the country has condemned the call for the removal of Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu describing the call as misguided, uncalled for and mischievous.
Reacting to a report by a faceless group purporting to be concerned about happenings in the power sector, COCOP said the group was only seeking relevance while ignoring the giant strides in the power sector since Adelabu took over in August 2023.
A statement signed by John Okwaji, National Coordinator and Richard Ibeh, Secretary of COCOP at the weekend said efforts to downplay the progress made in the power sector based on financial inducement and political differences are doomed for failure as it lacks conviction.
The statement reads:
“The attention of the Coalition of Concerned Progressives (COCOP) has been drawn to recent calls by the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organizations (CNCSOs) demanding the removal of the Honourable Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
“While we respect the right of individuals and groups to express their opinions, we categorically state that such calls are misguided, premature, and fail to acknowledge the significant progress being made in Nigeria’s power sector under the Minister of Power and Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s leadership.
“Not only that, it is clear that those making the call have either not been following developments in the power sector since the Minister assumed duty or are only being mischievous. We are aware that the political season is here and we understand what is happening.
“We know these groups parading themselves as concerned citizens are merely concerned about filthy lucre, having been induced by their puppet masters while ignoring the several years of neglect and rots in the sector that Minister Adelabu met on ground.
“For the avoidance of doubt, since his appointment, Chief Adelabu has demonstrated unwavering commitment to reforming and revitalizing Nigeria’s power sector, achieving measurable milestones that lay a solid foundation for sustainable energy growth. Contrary to the claims of stagnation, the following key achievements under Chief Adelabu stand as testament to his dedication and effectiveness.
“Through proactive measures, including improved grid management and infrastructure upgrades, the frequency of national grid collapses has significantly reduced compared to previous years.
“We are aware that the Ministry has intensified efforts to modernize transmission infrastructure to ensure reliable power supply nationwide. Within the period of Chief Adelabu stewardship, the pilot stage of the Siemens deal had reached an advance stage of 95 percent completion as at December 2024 with the installation of 10 mobile substations and 10 power transformers.
“With the completion of the pilot stage, the first phase of the Siemens deal will soon commence. We all know that the Siemens deal was initially signed in 2019 but due to financial, regulatory constraints and Covid 19, nothing was achieved until 2023 when President Bola Tinubu signed an accelerated agreement to fast-track the project which is expected to strengthen the transmission infrastructure and ultimately reduce instances of grid collapse.
“Adelabu has diligently followed up on this and the results are obvious to all and sundry.”
The statement also reeled out the purpose-driven leadership of Adelabu as Minister of Power.
“When Chief Adelabu was appointed as Minister of Power, electricity generation had always peaked at an average of 4000 megawatts, despite the brilliant Nigerians that had held sway as Ministers of Power.
“However, under Chief Adelabu and with the support of President Tinubu, Nigeria was able to achieve a historic record of 6003 megawatts of available generation while a historic generation evacuation of 5801.84 megawatts and a daily maximum energy output of 128,370.75 megawatt-hours (MWh) were achieved in the same period. All these were achieved in less than two years.
“Also under the leadership of Chief Adelabu, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has expanded access to electricity in underserved communities through solar mini-grids and stand alone systems. The Ministry is also driving Nigeria’s transition to renewable energy, aligning with global best practices and the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.
“In order to ensure reduction in estimated billings and improve liquidity in the sector, the FG government through the Ministry of Power has embarked on mass metering project. The Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) is expected to close the over seven million metering gap with the provision of two million Meters per year for the next five years. Households and businesses will soon start benefiting from proper metering, thereby reducing arbitrary billing and improving transparency in the power sector.
“The Ministry has championed critical policy reforms, including the implementation of cost-reflective tariffs to attract private investment and ensure sector sustainability. These reforms are essential for long-term growth and have already begun to yield positive results.
“Unlike previous administrations, Minister Adelabu has fostered an inclusive approach, engaging with labour unions, distribution companies (DisCos), generation companies (GenCos), gas companies (GASCOs) and consumers to address challenges and implement lasting solutions.
“We are also aware that the Ministry has successfully attracted new investments from private and foreign development partners into the power sector, facilitating partnerships that will drive infrastructure development, improve generation capacity, and create jobs for Nigerians.
“While we recognize that challenges persist—many of which are systemic and inherited—the call for the Minister’s removal disregards the foundational reforms being implemented to ensure lasting solutions. The Federal Government remains resolute in its commitment to delivering stable and affordable electricity to all Nigerians, and Minister Adelabu’s strategic approach is central to this vision.
“We urge the CNPP and CNCSOs to engage constructively with the Ministry, rather than resorting to unfounded calls for removal. The focus should remain on collaborative efforts to build a power sector that meets the needs of all Nigerians.
“We urge the Honourable Minister to remain undeterred in his mission to transform Nigeria’s power sector and calls on all stakeholders to support these efforts for the collective benefit of the nation”.
