The Federal Government has responded to allegations by the Oyo State House of Assembly over an alleged blackout in parts of Ibarapaland, describing the claims as a politicisation of long-standing technical challenges in the power sector.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Federal Ministry of Power, the government rejected assertions of incompetence levelled against the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, insisting that the issues affecting electricity supply in Ibarapa predate the current administration.
The statement, signed by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister, explained that the transmission challenges in the area were largely caused by funding shortfalls and unresolved compensation matters linked to infrastructure belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
Tunji described the Assembly’s intervention as regrettable, urging members of the Oyo State House of Assembly to avoid turning technical matters into political disputes and instead pursue constructive engagement with federal authorities.
He noted that electricity is now on the Concurrent Legislative List, empowering states to generate, transmit, and distribute power within their territories.
While several states have leveraged this constitutional provision to complement federal supply, the Ministry said Oyo State has yet to fully utilise these opportunities.
The Ministry further questioned why the Assembly did not demand accountability over the state’s Independent Power Project with Elektron Energy, which reportedly collapsed after the contractor suspended operations due to persistent non-payment, despite significant public investment.
It also expressed concern that the allegations were raised after nearly seven years of the Assembly’s tenure and less than a year to the next general elections, suggesting that the move was politically motivated and targeted at discrediting the Minister rather than addressing genuine service delivery issues.
Progress on Ibarapa Power Project
Providing updates on the Ibarapa Power Project, the Ministry disclosed that contractors are currently on site assessing affected properties and commencing long-delayed compensation payments to landowners.
It said the delay in releasing funds for compensation occurred before the current Minister assumed office, adding that all critical equipment for the project has already been procured.
According to the statement, previously abandoned and vandalised TCN facilities in the area are being rehabilitated, while electricity supply has been restored to Ibarapa Central after prolonged outages.
Street lighting projects have also been completed in several communities to improve security and stimulate economic activity.
Distribution and metering concerns
The Ministry clarified that last-mile electricity distribution in Oyo State, including Ibarapa, falls under the responsibility of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, which oversees feeders, transformers, metering, and billing.
Meanwhile, Adelabu has directed IBEDC to expedite the distribution of free prepaid meters to customers within its franchise area.
The Minister gave the directive while addressing the management of IBEDC and other key stakeholders during a working visit to the company’s headquarters in Ibadan on Saturday.
He said the engagement reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining close, solution-driven relationships with operators in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“Our objective is to hear directly from IBEDC, understand their operational realities, identify their pain points, and explore how the government can better support their ambition as a utility responsible for powering homes, businesses, and industries,” the Minister said.
Adelabu added that the visit aligned with the power sector reform agenda of Bola Tinubu, aimed at delivering reliable electricity to Nigerians.
“This engagement is in line with the ambitious plan of President Bola Tinubu to transform Nigeria’s power sector by ensuring reliable electricity for all Nigerians,” he stated.
The Minister, however, expressed dissatisfaction with IBEDC’s metering performance, charging the company to significantly improve deployment efforts.
He revealed that data from the Project Implementation Unit of the Federal Government’s Distribution Sector Recovery Programme Metering Initiative showed that only about 16,300 meters had been installed out of roughly 59,000 meters supplied to the company.
Federal power projects in Oyo
Reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to Oyo State, the Ministry listed several completed and ongoing power projects across the state.
These include mobile substations at Ajibode and Eleyele-Sango, upgrades at the Ayede Ring Road substation under the Presidential Power Initiative in partnership with Siemens, new substations at New Asejire and Lalupon/Ejioku, and a 15MW solar grid for the University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital approved by the Rural Electrification Agency.
Others include the rehabilitation of substations in Igbo Ora and Lanlate, completion of transmission lines from Iseyin to Okeho, upgrades in Saki and Ogbomosho, solar mini-grids in rural communities, and highway lighting along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
The Ministry however, urged the Oyo State Government and the House of Assembly to complement federal initiatives, noting that sustainable improvements in electricity supply require cooperation across all levels of government.
Residents of Ibarapaland were assured that with compensation processes underway and equipment already in place, tangible improvements in power supply would soon be delivered across the zone.