Paul Ibe, media adviser to the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, over his recent comment about Nigerians complaining that their freezers were freezing too much.
Ibe reacted on Thursday after Tegbe made the statement while commissioning a 3MW solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University in Abuja, formerly known as the University of Abuja.
During the event, the minister spoke about improvements in electricity supply, saying some areas that had experienced prolonged power outages were now getting as much as 18 hours of electricity daily.
Tegbe also said some consumers had contacted him over the improved supply, with some reportedly complaining that their freezers were becoming excessively cold.
Ibe questioned the minister’s account, arguing that available electricity data did not support the picture of widespread excess power supply.
He referred to operational figures released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission for April 2026. The data showed that the 28 grid-connected power plants covered in the report had a combined installed capacity of 13,625 megawatts, while the average available generation was 4,286MW.
This represented a plant availability factor of 31 per cent during the period under review.
NERC also recorded an average load factor of 94 per cent, indicating that most of the electricity available for dispatch was being used.
Ibe argued that the figures raised questions about the minister’s description of the country’s electricity situation and said the experience of many Nigerians remained different from the picture presented by the government.
The Atiku aide said households and businesses were still dealing with the high cost of energy, while many Nigerians continued to depend on generators and other alternative sources of electricity.
He also drew attention to the cost of diesel, which he said had risen above N2,000 per litre in some parts of the country.
According to Ibe, the rising cost of electricity, petrol and diesel was putting additional pressure on families and small businesses already dealing with higher living expenses.
He said the government should concentrate on making electricity supply more reliable and affordable rather than focusing on isolated examples of improved power availability.
Ibe also argued that Nigeria’s electricity challenge involved more than the number of hours of supply in some locations. He said the amount of power available for distribution, the reliability of the national grid and the cost paid by consumers were all part of the wider issue.
The opposition figure said Nigerians needed a power system that could consistently meet household and business needs without forcing people to spend heavily on alternative sources.
He maintained that the government should pay greater attention to the economic pressure facing citizens as energy costs continue to affect household spending and business operations.
The disagreement comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to improve electricity generation and supply through investments in renewable energy, power infrastructure and other projects.
The commissioning of the solar hybrid project at Yakubu Gowon University was part of those efforts, with the government seeking to increase access to electricity in public institutions and other areas.
However, Ibe’s criticism shows that questions remain over the level of electricity actually available to consumers and the cost of maintaining alternative power sources.
He urged the government to focus on delivering steady and affordable electricity across the country, saying improved power supply should translate into better conditions for households and businesses.