The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians that the country could achieve a more stable electricity supply by 2031 to address persistent challenges in the power sector.
The minister stated that the government has improved it’s efforts to improve electricity generation and transmission across Nigeria, adding that government is pursuing a $2 billion East-West Super Grid project to expand the capacity of the national grid.
Tegbe, on Monday, disclosed that procurement processes for the project had commenced, with the government targeting completion within two years.
The initiative is expected to increase the country’s electricity transmission capacity from approximately 4,000 megawatts to 19,000 megawatts.
He also projected greater private sector participation in electricity transmission within the next two to three years, saying investment would be essential to strengthening the country’s power infrastructure.
According to the minister, the proposed project will connect key locations, including Funtua, Gwagwalada, Ikot Ekpene, Benin, Epe and Ilorin. He stressed that the new infrastructure would complement existing transmission facilities rather than replace them.
Tegbe said the recent electricity disruptions were caused by maintenance work at the Egbin Power Station, insufficient gas supply to thermal power plants and alleged sabotage of transmission infrastructure.
He added that the completion of scheduled maintenance had helped restore electricity to affected areas.
The Minister also disclosed that several communities in Lagos, including Ajah, Lekki, Ikoyi, Magodo and Ikeja, had regained electricity as of Sunday night.
Acknowledging the difficulties Nigerians experienced during the outages, Tegbe appealed for patience, noting that resolving the immediate problems was only part of the government’s broader plan to achieve lasting improvements.
He explained that inadequate transmission infrastructure remained a major obstacle to reliable electricity delivery.
Furthermore, the minister noted that rising electricity demand, driven partly by increased digital activities, data consumption and remote working, made infrastructure expansion increasingly important.
He maintained that the government was targeting significant improvements in electricity supply over the next three to five years, adding that existing power facilities must be effectively utilised alongside new investments.
The minister reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening the national grid and improving electricity delivery, expressing optimism that the planned interventions would bring greater stability to the country’s power sector by 2031.