- The Nigerian Senate confirms Joseph Tegbe as Minister of Power, tasking him with urgent reforms to improve electricity supply and stabilise the power sector.
- Tegbe pledges visible improvements within 3-6 months, focusing on transmission upgrades, regulatory coordination, and systemic governance reforms.
Joseph Tegbe has been confirmed by the Senate following a plenary screening. Lawmakers highlighted Nigeria’s persistent electricity gap, noting that although installed generation exceeds 13,000MW, actual supply rarely surpasses 4,500MW due to weak transmission and distribution systems.
Tegbe pledged immediate action to address these challenges. He said Nigerians should expect visible improvements within three to six months. In addition, he committed to working closely with the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, and other stakeholders to stabilise the sector.
He identified several structural problems, including ageing infrastructure, unstable grid frequency, weak regulatory enforcement, and commercial inefficiencies. He also noted that the crisis extends beyond technical faults to governance and financing challenges.
Godswill Akpabio urged the new minister to avoid bureaucratic delays and focus on long-term solutions instead of short-term maintenance contracts. He stressed that stable electricity remains essential for industrial growth, national security, and economic development.
Akpabio also criticised exploitative billing practices in utilities and media subscription services, calling for fairer, consumption-based payment systems that protect Nigerian consumers.