VIDEO: Kate Henshaw Slams Nigeria’s Poor Power Supply in 2026

The Nollywood actress challenges the Minister of Power over persistent electricity outages, demanding the identities of consumers allegedly asking the government to reduce supply

Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw has criticised Nigeria’s persistent electricity shortages, challenging Minister of Power Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe to explain why households continue to experience frequent outages in 2026 despite repeated government assurances of improvement.

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Henshaw expressed her frustration in a video shared on Instagram on Friday, November 6, 2026, questioning the minister over the quality of electricity supply and a statement he made in September about consumers allegedly asking him to slow down improvements because their freezers were freezing their contents.

The actress said electricity in her area sometimes lasted only a few minutes before disappearing, leaving residents struggling to carry out everyday activities.

“Come on, Mr Minister of Power. No light. There’s no light. There’s hardly been any electricity. You people bring it for maybe five minutes, and then it’s gone,” she said.

Her criticism centred particularly on comments Tegbe made on September 16, 2026, during the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.

The minister had claimed that some electricity consumers who previously experienced prolonged outages were now receiving up to 18 hours of electricity daily and had jokingly asked him to slow down because their freezers were working continuously.

“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 that continuous electricity was necessary for freezers to perform their intended function.

However, Henshaw questioned the credibility of the reported complaints, demanding that the minister identify the consumers who allegedly made such requests.

“You were credited with a statement that in September, some people were telling you that you should turn off the power because the things in their freezers were freezing. What’s a freezer for?” she asked.

“I need the names and numbers of these people that called you and said you should turn off the lights, or you should slow down or whatever it is you imagine they told you.

There’s hardly electricity in 2026,” she added.

The actress maintained that Nigerians expected consistent electricity rather than explanations about reduced demand in areas where supply had reportedly improved.

“I’m sorry that people are telling you you should slow down. Slow down what? We are meant to have electricity this 2026. I’m just so angry,” she said.

Henshaw also questioned the financial commitments made to the power sector, arguing that substantial public and private investments had yet to translate into dependable electricity for many consumers.

She expressed frustration over electricity distribution companies continuing to issue bills to customers who complain about inadequate supply.

Her remarks come amid a fresh deterioration in electricity availability across parts of the country, with the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) on November 5 attributing the latest decline to inadequate gas supplies to thermal power stations and reduced water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs.

In a statement reported by Channels Television on Friday, November 6, NISO explained that the combined challenges had constrained electricity generation, reduced allocations to distribution companies and increased load-shedding across their networks.

“The limited availability of gas has constrained the capacity of affected thermal generating stations to operate at their available levels, while reduced water inflows into reservoirs have impacted the generation capacity of hydroelectric power stations,” the operator said.

NISO acknowledged the difficulties facing electricity consumers and said it was working to maintain grid stability and optimise the distribution of available power.

The latest explanation adds to a series of challenges that have continued to undermine electricity supply, including inadequate gas infrastructure, transmission limitations, ageing equipment and distribution losses.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s second-quarter 2026 report provides further insight into the sector’s performance.

According to the regulator, grid-connected power plants generated an average hourly output of 4,022.40 megawatt-hours during the quarter, while electricity distribution companies recorded average aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses of 36 per cent, compared with an allowed average target of 16.92 per cent.

The report also showed that electricity billed during the period amounted to ₦744.67 billion, while total revenue collected stood at ₦603.64 billion.

Minister Tegbe has previously acknowledged that many Nigerians remain without reliable electricity.

In September, while reflecting on his first three months in office, he admitted that the government’s reported progress had not been experienced by many consumers.

“Admittedly, many Nigerians are still without reliable power, and I understand the frustration of hearing about progress you haven’t personally felt yet. I’m not going to pretend that away,” he said.

The minister also cautioned against expecting an immediate solution, explaining that addressing the sector’s structural problems would require sustained reforms.

He said the ministry had worked on restoring the 375-megawatt Alaoji power plant, unlocking transmission capacity in Lagos and Abuja, addressing outstanding sector debts and deploying more than 350,000 electricity meters.

Tegbe also reiterated his commitment to improving grid stability, supply reliability and billing accuracy.

Henshaw was not the only Nigerian entertainer to express frustration over the situation on Friday.

Singer Spyro also recounted an experience at an electricity distribution company office after visiting to complain about poor supply despite paying for Band A electricity.

He said he was surprised to discover that employees at the office were also struggling with inadequate electricity.

Content creator Cute Abiola similarly appealed to President Bola Tinubu over the persistent outages, explaining that even his solar power alternative had failed to provide the relief he expected.

For many Nigerian households and small businesses, unreliable electricity carries consequences beyond inconvenience.

Frequent outages increase spending on petrol and diesel generators, solar installations, inverters and other alternative energy sources, while also affecting food preservation, productivity and business operating costs.

Henshaw ended her intervention with an emotional expression of frustration, saying Nigerians deserved greater consideration given the difficulties they continued to endure.

“God will judge all of you. God will judge you people,” she said.

Her intervention has added another prominent voice to the growing public demand for measurable improvements in electricity supply, as Nigerians look beyond official assurances to the number of hours of reliable power reaching their homes and businesses.

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For the Federal Government and the power sector authorities, the challenge remains translating promised reforms and reported improvements into consistent electricity that ordinary consumers can experience.

Watch the video below: