Nigeria's newly appointed Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians that electricity supply across the country will witness notable improvement, but he expressed reservations about the immediate prospects of round-the-clock power. The minister made this known on Monday following his swearing-in ceremony in Abuja, expressing confidence that ongoing reforms in the sector will soon yield desired results.
“I am not promising a magic wand. I am not promising twenty-four hours, seven days a week power. We will get there ultimately,” the minister stated. “What I promise Nigerians is that we will see visible improvements,” he added, noting that feedback received over the past four weeks suggests electricity supply has improved in several parts of the country.
Background and Reforms
Mr. Tegbe’s appointment followed the resignation of Adebayo Adelabu, who stepped down to pursue his political ambitions. Similarly, Sola Enikanolaiye was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs to replace Yusuf Tugar, who also resigned for political reasons.
Despite significant investments in generation infrastructure over the years, challenges such as low plant availability, gas supply constraints, maintenance issues, transmission hitches, and an ageing grid continue to hamper effective electricity delivery across Nigeria. The chronic supply shortfall has forced many homes and businesses to resort to expensive solar systems and generators. Recent spikes in fuel costs, exacerbated by the US-Israel conflict with Iran, have further driven up energy expenses, making these alternatives nearly unaffordable for many Nigerians already facing a cost-of-living crisis.
President Tinubu's Remarks
President Bola Tinubu described Mr. Tegbe, who was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, as a renowned fiscal, economic, and institutional reform strategist and stakeholder engagement expert with over 35 years of professional experience across both public and private sectors.
Recent Interventions and Progress
Mr. Tegbe acknowledged the perennial challenges facing the power sector but noted that recent interventions by the current administration are beginning to yield results. He stated that the Tinubu administration has invested significantly in the sector over the past three years, with plans to commission more projects while ensuring vulnerable Nigerians benefit from improved electricity supply.
The minister attributed the reported improvements to increased government support, the dedication of power sector workers, and engagement with key stakeholders. Since his Senate confirmation, he has met with major agencies, including the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and officials from the Federal Ministry of Power. “They have given commitments, and that is what you are seeing today with the improvements,” he remarked. “There are peculiarities in the sector, and we are going to fix these peculiarities,” he added.
Citing recent examples, the minister disclosed that power was restored to affected parts of Katampe, a district in Abuja, within 24 hours after a recent feeder station failure, thanks to the efforts of sector workers. He also referenced operational improvements at the Niger Delta Power Holding Company as evidence of renewed commitment within the sector.
