The Honourable Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has assured Nigerians of continued improvements in electricity supply, following the unveiling of a structured power sector reform agenda after his swearing-in.
Speaking in Abuja, Tegbe thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to serve with honesty, diligence and accountability.
The Minister disclosed that since his Senate confirmation, the Ministry has engaged key agencies across the power value chain, including the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and other stakeholders to accelerate reforms and improve service delivery.
He also revealed that international development partners have expressed readiness to provide liquidity support to the sector, reflecting growing confidence in the government’s reform agenda.
Highlighting early achievements, Tegbe announced the revival of the 450MW Alaoji Open Cycle Power Plant in Abia State, which had been inactive for three years, with up to 375MW now available for dispatch to the national grid.
He further noted that TCN recently energized new transmission assets in Abuja, Ayede and Abeokuta to strengthen grid capacity, while swift intervention by TCN and AEDC restored electricity supply within 24 hours following a transformer failure in Abuja.
The Minister also commended NERC’s directive requiring Distribution Companies to compensate Band A customers affected by supply shortfalls, describing it as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to consumer protection and accountability.
While acknowledging the longstanding challenges facing the sector, Tegbe appealed for patience, noting that reforms would take time to yield full results.
“The challenges in the power sector were decades in the making and cannot be resolved overnight. However, Nigerians will continue to see visible improvements as we implement our reform agenda,” he said.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Minister said the ultimate goal remains reliable and affordable electricity for homes, businesses and industries across the country.
“We will keep moving, we will keep delivering, and the improvements will keep coming,” Tegbe stated.
