Nigeria's power minister, Tegbe, said the generating units behind the country's current power outages will be back in service within 48 hours, according to TheCable. He also directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the distribution companies to improve electricity supply, TheCable reported.
The statement came as Punch Newspapers reported that the minister said power supply would improve within 72 hours. The two timelines, reported by separate outlets, point to a phased recovery rather than a single fix.
The cause of the outages has been disputed. The Guardian Nigeria News reported that TCN rejected a claim by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) about what triggered the disruption. TheCable also reported Tegbe saying Nigerians deserve better, a remark made alongside his directive to the sector operators.
The disruption has drawn attention to how much electricity consumers actually receive. Channels Television reported that NISO attributed the fewer hours of electricity Nigerians are getting to underlying factors in the system.
What to watch next: whether the affected units are confirmed back on the grid within the 48-hour window, and how supply levels compare once they are.