CLAIM: Adebayo Adelabu, a former Nigeria’s Minister of Power claimed that electricity generation in the country peaked at over 6,000 megawatts (MW) during his tenure.
He also disclosed that available generation capacity was between 3,500MW and 4,500MW when he assumed office in August 2023.
This claim was contained in his resignation letter dated April 22, 2026 with reference number FMP/HM/SGF/026/I/001.
VERIFICATION
When WITHIN NIGERIA examined the claim, it discovered that Nigeria’s grid never hit 6,000MW, according to data from Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) accessed from 2023 to March 2026.
In 2023, Nigeria’s grid reached 5,000MW. In 2024, it reached 5,528 MW and it crossed to 5,801MW. However, it dropped from 5,801MW to 4,089MW in early 2026.
Findings revealed that generation of megawatts got close to 6,000MW but never crossed it because it was inconsistent and the growth was not steady.
According to quarterly data released by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), National grid did not experience any stability in the last three years. In 2023, when Adelabu took office as Minister of Power, the average generation capacity was 4,211MW in Q3.
Here are changes WITHIN NIGERIA observed, according to NERC quarterly data:
Q4 2023: Rose to 4,922MW
Q4 2024: ∼5,296MW
Q3 2025: ∼5,430MW
March 2026: Fell to ∼4,089MW
However, the CEO of APGC, Joy Ogaji, explained that the key numbers are different, disclosing that peak does not mean Nigerians got the exact generated megawatts.
According to Ogaji, the installed capacity which means what plants could generate if everything worked is between ∼13,000 to 14,000MW.
“The available capacity of what plants can actually make is between ∼4,900 to 7,300MW. The highest point the National grid has ever reached is between ∼5,000–5,800MW and ∼4,100–4,600MW were what homes and businesses got”.
VERDICT:
The claim by Adelabu, ex-Minister of Power that electricity generation in the country peaked at over 6,000 megawatts (MW) during his tenure is false, misleading and untrue.
There’s no verified record of Nigeria exceeding 6,000MW peak generation during Adelabu’s tenure. Truly, the available capacity was indeed ∼4,200MW when he started, but the 6,000MW peak claim isn’t supported by industry data.
