FG Releases Statement As South Africa Cuts Power Supply to Nigerian High Commission
- South African authorities on Monday disconnected electricity to the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria
- Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have reacted to the outage and blamed funding delays
- The federal gvoernment says it is engaging South African authorities to settle arrears and restore power
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The Nigerian government has reacted to the disconnection of electricity supply to the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, over unpaid utility bills.
South African authorities cut power to the mission on Monday under the City of Tshwane’s #TshwaneYaTima campaign, which targets government institutions, businesses and residents with outstanding debts.
Source: Facebook
The action was confirmed by Tshwane Executive Mayor, Nasiphi Moya, who said the High Commission owed the city for utility services.
Moya wrote on X, sharing a photograph of the embassy building:
“#TshwaneYaTima: We’ve disconnected electricity at the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They owe the city for utility services.”
She later provided an update that an agreement has been reached.
"We thank the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for honouring its debt to the city. The city will reconnect electricity."
Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacts
Responding, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the blackout was caused by funding constraints linked to delays in the passage of Nigeria’s 2026 national budget. Ministry spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, explained that the mission had not received funds to settle its bills because the budget was yet to be approved.
Ebienfa said:
"If they say Nigeria has not paid in January, that means there is no money for Nigeria to pay in January because the budget has not been passed."
He added that funds had not been released to the Pretoria mission.
He said the ministry was engaging with the Nigerian mission and South African authorities to resolve the matter swiftly and restore electricity to ensure the smooth operation of the High Commission.
Ebienfa said:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of the unfortunate development regarding the electricity blackout. We are trying our best to make sure the outstanding bills are paid and the electricity is restored with immediate effect."
Source: Twitter
The incident is the latest in a series of power cuts involving Nigerian diplomatic facilities in South Africa.
In 2023, the Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg was disconnected by City Power over unpaid bills of about 600,000 rand, while the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria was reportedly cut off again in September last year over accumulated arrears.
The development has also renewed concerns over the absence of substantive ambassadors at several Nigerian missions.
Ebienfa also said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has so far approved ambassadorial appointments to only three countries the United Kingdom, France and the United States noting that South Africa was not included.
He assured that efforts were ongoing to clear the outstanding bills at the Pretoria mission and restore electricity as soon as possible.
National grid collapses again for second time in 2026
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s electricity transmission system suffered another major disruption on Tuesday, January 27, as the national grid collapsed for the second time in 2026, throwing large parts of the country into darkness.
The latest grid failure occurred barely four days after a similar incident earlier in the year, compounding concerns over the fragility of Nigeria’s power infrastructure and its ability to support steady electricity supply for households and businesses.
Data obtained from the Nigerian Independent System Operator’s grid performance dashboard showed a sharp fall in real-time electricity generation.
Source: Legit.ng
