National Grid Collapse: Nigerians Demand Power Minister’s Resignation Amid Worsening Blackouts

According to a report by The Punch on Sunday, November 8, 2026, frustration has boiled over across Nigeria as citizens, civil society organisations (CSOs), and advocacy groups strongly demand the immediate resignation of the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.

The nationwide outcry follows persistent electricity outages, widespread grid failures, and what critics describe as endless excuses from the federal government.

The current wave of public anger was triggered by a statement posted by the minister on X (formerly Twitter).

In his update, Tegbe attributed the latest nationwide power failures to scheduled maintenance at the Egbin Power Station and critical gas supply constraints affecting several thermal power plants.

While he assured citizens that generation units would be restored within 48 to 72 hours, the explanation was met with fierce backlash from a weary public grappling with weeks of erratic power supply.

Civil society leaders have strongly condemned the minister’s handling of the energy crisis. Yinka Folarin, National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), dismissed the minister’s remarks as untenable.

“The minister should be honourable to say, ‘Come, I am not competent,’ and give room for a more competent person,” Folarin stated, criticizing the continued issuance of high electricity bills to communities that have spent weeks in total darkness.

Similarly, Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HWRAN), slammed the ministry’s justifications and called for an urgent, comprehensive probe into the power sector by anti-graft agencies.

Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), added that while systemic issues like outdated infrastructure and gas shortages plague the sector, public officials must still be held personally accountable for their performance under measurable targets.

Social media platforms have equally turned into arenas for public grievance. Frustrated citizens flooded online spaces labeling the minister’s performance a failure, with many questioning why authorities consistently wait for infrastructure to collapse before taking reactive measures.

Beyond individual resignations, experts and commentators are also pushing for deep structural changes, including the decentralization of the national grid into regional networks and rigorous audits of historical sector investments to secure a reliable energy future for Nigeria’s over 200 million citizens.

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