For many Nigerians, the arrival of electricity has become something to celebrate, while its absence is an experience they have had to learn to live with. From homes and businesses to public spaces, the struggle to enjoy a steady power supply continues to shape everyday life.
The situation has also raised questions about the country’s electricity sector, the cost of alternative power sources and the responsibility of those managing the system. With each passing day, the demand for answers appears to grow louder.
Kate Henshaw Challenges Minister of Power Over Poor Electricity Supply
Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw has expressed frustration over Nigeria’s persistent power outages, directly calling out the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, over the situation.
On Friday, November 6, 2026, the actress shared a video on her Instagram page in which she questioned the minister about the country’s electricity supply. Addressing him directly, Henshaw complained that electricity was barely available, sometimes coming on for only a few minutes before going off again. She said:
“Come on, Mr Minister of Power. No light. There’s no light. There’s hardly been light. You will bring it maybe five minutes and then it’s gone.”
The actress also questioned a statement attributed to the minister in September, in which he reportedly spoke about some electricity consumers asking for reduced power supply because their freezers were freezing their contents.
Henshaw challenged the minister to identify those who allegedly made the complaints, demanding their names and phone numbers. She said:
“I need the names and numbers of these people that called you and said you should turn off the lights. Or you should slow down. Or whatever it is you imagined they told you.”
She wondered why Nigerians were still struggling with electricity in 2026, despite the availability of generators, inverters and solar systems. The actress also criticised electricity distribution companies for presenting bills to consumers despite the poor supply. According to her, many households have now become responsible for generating their own electricity, making homes look like factories as people struggle to find alternative sources of power.
Henshaw further questioned the billions and trillions of naira reportedly invested in the power sector, asking why Nigerians continued to experience poor supply. She also recalled the previous minister’s decision to increase electricity tariffs, noting that the increase did not put an end to the country’s power problems.
Although she acknowledged that the current minister had not increased tariffs, she questioned why electricity remained unavailable. She said:
“You, you may not have increased tariff. But there’s no light, so you’re lying.”
Towards the end of the video, Henshaw expressed anger over the situation, saying she had deliberately stayed away from commenting on national issues because of the frustration surrounding the country. She also suggested that Nigerians deserved special treatment in heaven after enduring so many difficulties at home.
Cute Abiola Cries Out As Solar Power Fails
Content creator and comedian Cute Abiola also joined the growing number of Nigerians expressing frustration over the country’s electricity situation.
In a video shared on the night of November 5, the comedian appeared visibly distressed, sweating profusely as he repeatedly appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for help.
His major concern was the failure of his solar power system, which he had apparently relied on as an alternative to the national electricity supply. He shouted:
“President Tinubu, my solar is dead. President Tinubu, my solar is dead. My solar is dead, I swear. Please help.”
He continued to express disbelief that even solar power was no longer providing the relief he needed. In the video, he repeatedly said, “Buy solar, buy solar, solar sef dey off. Solar sef dey off.”
The comedian also lamented the hardship Nigerians were experiencing, describing the situation as too much to bear.
However, Cute Abiola returned with another video the following morning, November 6, in which he appeared calmer and spoke about his financial situation. This time, he addressed Tinubu as “my daddy” and announced that he had decided to sell one of his cars to raise money and manage his expenses.
According to him, the decision was necessary because he did not want to remain indebted to people who were asking him for money. He explained that he was grateful to have invested in multiple cars in the past, as selling one would now help him raise the money he needed. He also disclosed plans to produce more YouTube content to generate income and improve his financial situation. He said in part:
“I have to shoot some YouTube, shoot more content so that I can use this money now and redeem myself.”
Cute Abiola further expressed hope that things would not get to the point where he would have to sell his houses. He ended by praying for himself and others watching the video, asking that they would not find themselves in a position where they had to sell their properties.
Although he did not directly link the decision to sell his car to the power outage, the two videos offered a glimpse into his frustration and the financial pressures he discussed.
Kamo State Demands Answers From Minister Joseph Tegbe
Content creator Kamo State also took his complaint to social media, directing his message to the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe. In a post shared on X and Instagram, he questioned the minister’s silence over the persistent electricity problems affecting Nigerians.
Kamo State said people continued to wake up without electricity, explanations or updates from the person responsible for the power sector. He wrote:
“Dear Honourable Minister, @JosephOTegbe, Nigerians wake up daily to no light, no explanation, and no word from you.”
He demanded a clear and honest explanation of what was responsible for the poor electricity supply, insisting that Nigerians deserved to know what was happening.
The content creator also compared Tegbe’s communication with that of his predecessor, saying the previous minister at least addressed the nation. He wrote:
“Your predecessor at least addressed the nation. Under your watch, we are completely in the dark… literally and figuratively.”
Kamo State stressed that Nigerians were not expecting miracles from the government but wanted accountability and clear information about the situation. He added:
“We are not asking for miracles, only accountability. Come out and tell us what is broken and what you are doing about it.”
His post was also directed at the minister through his official social media handle, making it a direct call for an explanation from the government.
Spyro Recounts Experience At Electricity Distribution Company Office
On November 6, Singer Spyro also shared his frustration with the electricity situation, recounting an experience that left him surprised after visiting an electricity distribution company office. On his instagram story, the singer said he had gone to the EKDC office out of frustration to complain about receiving little or no electricity despite paying for Band A service.
However, he claimed that what he encountered at the office was different from what he expected. According to him, the employees were also struggling without electricity, with some of them fanning themselves because of the heat.
Spyro said the woman who attended to him revealed that her neighbours often mocked her for working with an electricity distribution company when she did not even have electricity in her own home. Sharing the experience, he wrote:
“I went to EKDC office out of frustration to find out why I pay for band A and yet zero electricity, and on getting there, I got moved by compassion as the workers were literally fanning themselves, no electricity and the lady who attended to me said, ‘my neighbors shame me for working here yet I have no light’.”
The singer expressed disappointment over the situation, questioning why some Nigerians continued to act as though everything was fine in the country.
Noble Igwe Questions Nigerians Over Complaints About Electricity
While several celebrities used social media to express their frustration over the poor power supply, media personality Noble Igwe offered a different perspective.
In a seemingly sarcastic post on X, Noble Igwe questioned Nigerians for complaining about electricity instead of acknowledging what he described as the government’s achievement in maintaining a stable foreign exchange rate. He wrote:
“Nigerians are very ungrateful, instead of praising the government for a stable FX rate, they are complaining about power supply.
“Did the government in power promise you improved electricity?”
What The Government Says About Power Outages
The growing complaints came as the Federal Government acknowledged the decline in electricity supply across parts of the country.
On November 5, the Ministry of Power said it had taken note of reduced electricity supply in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states, among other affected areas.
The ministry initially attributed the disruptions to maintenance and operational challenges within the power sector, constraints in gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced output from hydroelectric stations due to lower water inflows into reservoirs.
On Friday, November 6, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe provided further details about the situation. In a statement titled Update on Power Situation, he said planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station and gas supply constraints had reduced the amount of electricity available on the national grid.
He explained that grid operators had introduced load shedding in some areas to manage the reduced supply. The minister also identified the sabotage of key transmission lines as another challenge, saying it had restricted alternative routes for supplying electricity to some locations, particularly Lagos.
Tegbe said the ministry was working with relevant operators to restore affected generating units, improve gas supply and accelerate repairs to damaged infrastructure.
On Saturday, November 7, he said the first affected generating units were expected to return to service within 48 to 72 hours. He also acknowledged the difficulties the outages had caused households and businesses, promising further updates as electricity supply gradually improved.
Conclusion
For a country where electricity remains essential to homes, businesses and everyday activities, the expectation of a steady supply is hardly an unreasonable one.
As Nigerians continue to adjust to the realities of the power situation, the conversation around electricity, accountability and the cost of keeping the lights on remains far from over.
