Nigeria’s new minister of power, Joseph Tegbe, has promised that electricity supply will get better across the country. But he also warned that Nigerians should not expect immediate access to electricity all day, every day.
The minister shared this information on Monday after his swearing-in ceremony in Abuja. He believes that ongoing changes in the power sector will soon bring about good 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 said.
“What I promise Nigerians is that we will see visible improvements,” he added. He mentioned that feedback from the last four weeks shows that electricity supply has improved in many areas.
Even with large investments in power generation over the years, problems like low plant availability, gas supply issues, maintenance problems, transmission challenges, and old grid infrastructure still limit electricity delivery in Nigeria.
Many homes and businesses have had to turn to costly solar systems and generators as they look for other options due to constant electricity shortages.
Rising fuel prices in recent months, mainly due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, have made energy costs higher. This makes it hard for Nigerians to afford these alternative power sources, especially with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Mr Tegbe acknowledged the long-standing problems in the power sector. He noted that recent actions by the current government are starting to show positive results.
He stated that the Tinubu administration has invested a lot in the power sector over the last three years. Plans are in place to launch more projects while ensuring that vulnerable Nigerians gain from better electricity supply.
The minister credited the improvements to more government support, the dedication of workers in the power sector, and collaboration with important stakeholders.
Since his confirmation by the Senate, he has met with key agencies like 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 said.
“There are peculiarities in the sector and we are going to fix these peculiarities,” he added.
As an example of recent efforts, the minister said power was restored to parts of Katampe, a district in Abuja, within 24 hours after a feeder station failure. This was due to the hard work of the sector's employees.
He also mentioned improvements at the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, calling them proof of the renewed commitment in the sector.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇