Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, over his recent comment that some Nigerians had asked him to “slow down” because their freezers were freezing too much.
Tegbe made the remark on Wednesday while commissioning a 3MW solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University in Abuja, formerly the University of Abuja. He said some areas that had experienced prolonged power outages were now receiving up to 18 hours of electricity supply.
Reacting to the minister’s statement, Ibe questioned the claim and pointed to electricity generation figures reported by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). He argued that the available data showed a significant difference between Nigeria’s installed electricity generation capacity and the amount of power available for dispatch.
According to the NERC data cited by Ibe, the country’s 28 grid-connected plants covered in its April 2026 operational performance report had an installed capacity of 13,625 megawatts, while average available generation stood at 4,286MW.
Ibe said the minister’s comments did not reflect the experience of many Nigerians dealing with high electricity costs and unreliable power supply. He called on the Federal Government to prioritise reliable and affordable electricity rather than focus on the freezer anecdote.
The aide also raised concerns about the cost of alternative energy sources, including diesel, which he said was adding pressure to households and small businesses.
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