The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians that there is no immediate plan to increase electricity tariffs. He made this statement at a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, marking his 100 days in office. Tegbe emphasized that the government is committed to providing regular power supply to Nigerians. He listed several modest but measurable improvements across the power sector since he assumed office on June 8, 2026.
Tegbe revealed that his administration inherited an outdated electricity infrastructure that is over 40 years old. His early efforts focused on stabilizing the system rather than pursuing new large-scale projects. A diagnosis carried out at the onset of his tenure exposed weaknesses across the entire electricity value chain. These weaknesses include gas supply constraints, ageing generation fleet, vandalised transmission infrastructure, and distribution losses of between 30 and 40 per cent.
Despite the challenges, Tegbe highlighted several major achievements. The 375 megawatt Alaoji power plant was restored to the national grid after being offline for three years. New transformers commissioned in Lagos and Abuja have unlocked over 900 megawatts of additional transmission capacity. National generation and transmission have exceeded 5,000 megawatts in recent weeks, compared to a range of 3,700 megawatts to 4,700 megawatts before June.
The Minister announced the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO). RAMCO aims to professionally manage publicly financed renewable energy assets and plans to raise 3 trillion naira in the coming years. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and its partners have completed 62 solar and mini-grid installations across 30 states. These installations provide about 43.6 megawatts of solar capacity and over 41,000 new connections, benefiting more than 208,000 people.
On the financial side, Tegbe mentioned that about N1.23 trillion has been raised toward settling the sector’s debt backlog. This is part of a wider effort to address N3.3 trillion in outstanding obligations. Interventions targeting energy theft along the Ikorodu-Sagamu corridor have blocked an estimated N120 billion in annual revenue leakage. About 350,000 meters were installed during the first 100 days, bringing the number of installed meters to just over one million as of August.
Tegbe confirmed that the next phase of work will focus on stabilizing the Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt, and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano transmission corridors. The target is to develop a super grid, improve utilization of existing assets, and prepare infrastructure for future demand. The Minister emphasized that the government has no plan to increase electricity tariffs, dispelling rumors circulating on social media.
The Minister's efforts to improve the power sector are ongoing. With a focus on stabilizing and expanding the grid, Tegbe's administration aims to provide reliable and efficient power supply to Nigerians. The launch of RAMCO and the completion of solar and mini-grid installations are part of the government's strategy to increase renewable energy capacity and reduce energy poverty.
Key points
- The Nigerian government has no immediate plan to increase electricity tariffs.
- The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, highlighted several achievements in the power sector, including the restoration of the Alaoji power plant and the launch of RAMCO.
- National generation and transmission have exceeded 5,000 megawatts in recent weeks, compared to a range of 3,700 megawatts to 4,700 megawatts before June.
