Nigerians have taken to social media to poke fun at Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, after he claimed that some electricity consumers had asked him to “slow down” efforts to improve power supply because their freezers were now working continuously.
Tegbe made the statement on Wednesday while speaking at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
According to the minister, some areas that previously went for months without electricity were now receiving as much as 18 hours of power daily.
“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing,” Tegbe said.
He added jokingly: “That is what freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen.”
The comment quickly generated reactions online, with Nigerians divided between those who welcomed reports of improved electricity supply and others who questioned the minister’s claim based on their own experiences.
Some users urged the minister not to slow down, saying that reliable electricity remained a major need across the country. Others said they were yet to experience the prolonged supply being described by the minister.
One recurring joke from the reactions was that Nigerians had become so accustomed to poor electricity supply that a freezer actually doing what it was designed to do had suddenly become news.
The minister said the Federal Government was systematically replacing ageing electricity infrastructure, noting that some facilities in the sector were more than 40 years old.
He also disclosed that three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi had recently been brought down by vandals, adding that the government was working with security and anti-graft agencies to protect critical power infrastructure.
Tegbe had earlier promised during his Senate screening that Nigerians would begin to notice improvements in electricity supply within three to six months.
