Politics
THE newly sworn-in Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, on Monday assured Nigerians of sustained improvements in electricity supply.
Tegbe spoke shortly after his swearing-in ceremony in Abuja on Monday.
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the power sector and pledged to serve with integrity, diligence, and accountability.
“To Nigerians, we seek your understanding. The challenges that have kept this sector below its potential were decades in the making.
“They will not be fully reversed in weeks or months.
“Let me reiterate the commitment I made before the Senate: I will not promise what I cannot deliver, but I promise visible improvements, as you have already been seeing.
“I will continue to communicate honestly with you every step of the way. You will see the progress as it happens.
“The destination is clear: reliable and affordable electricity for every Nigerian home, business, and industry, around the clock.
“That journey is a long one, but under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we are firmly heading in the right direction.
“We will keep moving, keep delivering, and the improvements will keep coming,” he said.
The minister said that since the Senate confirmed his appointment, he had hit the ground running.
He said that within the period, a structured power sector reform strategy anchored on execution discipline, clear milestones, and public accountability had been drawn up.
“We have held substantive engagements with all critical sector agencies in the electricity value chain to strengthen collaboration and accelerate reforms in the sector.
“These agencies include the Ministry of Power, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.
“We have also engaged with the Nigerian Independent System Operator, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company, and FGN Power Company, among other stakeholders. They have all been very supportive, aligned, and ready to deliver.
“They have been very supportive, aligned, and ready to deliver.
“We have also held productive discussions with international development organisations and funding agencies/partners, who have expressed willingness to provide liquidity support to the sector—a significant vote of confidence in the direction of our reforms,” he said.
Tegbe said that preliminary results were already visible.
“The 450-megawatt Alaoji Open Cycle Power Plant in Abia State, which had been shut down for three years, has been revived by NDPHC, with up to 375MW now available for dispatch to the national grid.”
He also said that TCN had energised new transmission assets at Katampe in Abuja and at substations in Ayede and Abeokuta, thereby strengthening grid capacity across multiple regions.
According to him, when a 100-megavolt-ampere (MVA) transformer failed unexpectedly in Abuja, TCN and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) teams worked through the night and fully restored supply within 24 hours.
He also said that NERC recently directed Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to compensate Band A customers for supply shortfalls recorded earlier this year.
The minister said that the compensation was a firm signal that consumers would be protected and that operators would be held accountable.
Tegbe said that all these developments happened not by accident but because of the renewed commitment of the ministry and its agencies.
“I wish to commend, sincerely and unreservedly, the management and staff of the Ministry of Power and all its agencies for their renewed dedication, professionalism, and cooperative spirit over the past month.
“I equally commend our private-sector partners, who have shown a genuine willingness to work with us toward our common goals.
“I assure all of them that, under this leadership, productivity and excellence will always be acknowledged and rewarded,” he said. (NAN)
A.I
June 9, 2026
Tags: Mr Joseph Tegbe President Bola Tinubu