A fresh war of words has erupted between Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the performance of the state’s Independent Power Project (IPP) in Ibadan.
Adelabu had publicly criticized the Makinde-led administration, describing the 11KV power project at the State Secretariat, Agodi, as a “moribund” initiative and a “woeful failure.” He alleged that despite billions of naira invested, the project has not generated “a single kilowatt” of electricity for residents, questioning the state government’s capacity to deliver on power interventions.
The minister further argued that the inability of the project to deliver tangible results undermines the state’s criticism of the Federal Government’s efforts in the power sector. He maintained that power generation and distribution are complex and require technical expertise, insisting that the Oyo project has failed to meet expectations.
In a swift rebuttal, the Oyo State Government dismissed Adelabu’s claims as inaccurate and misleading. The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources clarified that the IPP was largely privately funded and had, in fact, generated about 5MW during its testing phase, supplying electricity to key government facilities for several months.
The state government also emphasized that payments made were strictly for electricity consumed during testing, not for project construction, countering allegations of wasted public funds. It added that the project’s limitations were tied more to distribution expansion challenges rather than generation failure.
Amid the controversy, the Makinde administration revealed that it has moved on to a more advanced 12MW Ibadan Independent Power Gas Project aimed at delivering a scalable and sustainable electricity solution across strategic locations in the state.
The exchange highlights growing tensions between federal and state actors over electricity reforms following the Electricity Act, with both sides defending their roles in addressing Nigeria’s persistent power challenges.
