Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, over his comment that Nigerians are complaining that their freezers are freezing too much.
Tegbe had on Wednesday made the comment while commissioning a 3MW solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, formerly known as the University of Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Power claimed that electricity supply has improved significantly under the President Bola Tinubu administration, stating that some communities that had been without electricity for three months were now enjoying up to 18 hours of daily power supply.
According to him, the improved supply had led to some consumers calling him to complain that their freezers were over-freezing.
“Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing. That is what a freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” the minister said.
The comment has since triggered backlash on social media, with many Nigerians questioning the claim.
*Paul Ibe Questions Minister’s Claim With NERC Data*
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Paul Ibe described the minister’s comment as insensitive and out of touch with the realities facing Nigerians.
He said, “Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, says Nigerians are calling him and asking him to ‘slow down’ because their freezers are now freezing too much. For real?
“Apparently, the Tinubu government hears voices the rest of Nigeria cannot hear. It hears Nigerians complaining about too much electricity, while official NERC data showed that in April only about 4,286MW was available for dispatch from 13,625MW of installed grid-connected capacity.”
Ibe cited data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to counter the minister’s narrative of improved electricity supply.
According to NERC’s April 2026 operational performance data, the 28 grid-connected power plants covered by the report had an average available generation capacity of 4,286MW from an installed capacity of 13,625MW. This represents a plant availability factor of just 31 per cent.
The regulatory body also reported an average load factor of 94 per cent, indicating that almost all the capacity available for dispatch was utilized during the month, leaving little reserve.
Ibe argued that the figures do not support claims of excess electricity supply.
“Nigeria does not have an electricity problem because the Minister is supplying too much power. The available official numbers tell a considerably less triumphant story,” he said.
*Nigerians Facing High Electricity Bills, High Cost of Diesel*
The media aide to Atiku Abubakar further stated that the minister’s freezer analogy does not reflect the daily experience of Nigerians who are battling rising electricity tariffs, high petrol prices and soaring diesel costs.
He said diesel has recently crossed N2,000 per litre in some parts of the country, forcing many small businesses to shut down or run at a loss.
“It hears freezers freezing. Nigerians hear generators roaring. It hears an electricity revolution. Families see electricity bills consuming their incomes.
“It hears economic progress. Small businesses see the cost of electricity, petrol and diesel eating away their margins,” Ibe stated.
He noted that despite claims of improved supply, many households and businesses still rely heavily on generators due to unreliable grid power.
*‘What Is Freezing Is Quality Of Life’*
Ibe said the real issue facing the country is not over-freezing freezers, but the freezing of living standards due to inflation, energy costs and job losses.
“The real story is not that Nigerians’ freezers are freezing. What is freezing is the quality of life of Nigerians.
“Household incomes are being frozen by inflation. Small businesses are being frozen out by energy costs. Jobs are disappearing as operating costs rise. Families are cutting consumption simply to survive,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government and the Ministry of Power to focus on delivering reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity rather than making what he described as “freezer jokes.”
“The government should leave the freezer jokes alone. Give Nigerians reliable and affordable electricity. Let their freezers freeze. Stop freezing their lives,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ministry of Power has not responded to Ibe’s criticism.
Nigeria’s power sector continues to face challenges including low generation, poor transmission infrastructure, high Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses, and tariff shortfalls, despite various interventions by the Tinubu administration to improve supply.
