The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu has not deviated from his 2023 campaign pledge to fix Nigeria's electricity sector. According to APC-PCC spokesperson Dele Alake, the administration's efforts to reform the power sector are ongoing. Alake made this statement on Sunday, as President Tinubu prepares to seek Nigerians' mandate for a second term in office.
During a meeting with members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos ahead of the 2023 elections, then-candidate Tinubu promised to address systemic problems in the power sector and end estimated billing. He assured Nigerians that they would have electricity and not pay for estimated bills anymore. Alake recalled Tinubu's exact words: “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept."
A fair assessment of Tinubu's pledge should consider the full statement alongside the administration's record since 2023, Alake said. He listed measures taken by the administration to fix the sector, including the signing of the Electricity Act 2023 on June 9, within two weeks in office. This Act liberalized the sector, allowing states to participate in generation, distribution, and transmission. Several states, including Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna, and Niger, have set up their own regulatory agencies.
The administration has also taken on over N6 trillion legacy debt accumulated from 2015 to 2025 and created a N4 trillion bond programme to settle verified debts to 21 Gencos and Discos. According to Alake, the first and second tranches have raised over N1.2 trillion. Additionally, the government launched the Presidential Metering Initiative to close the over 7 million metering gap, with over 1.5 million customers metered in the last three years.
Alake also mentioned that the administration has aligned tariffs to cost to restore market liquidity, creating Service Bands with different tariffs, while protecting low-income households. The Rural Electrification Agency has connected universities, hospitals, and rural communities to solar power. Plans are underway to modernize the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, built over 60 years ago, and build an East-West super grid.
The government is also reviewing the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) started by former President Muhammadu Buhari. An Acceleration Agreement was signed in December 2023 with German partners, with the FEC approving the first batch of 5 TCN substations in December 2024 and a second batch of eight new substations and upgrade of four existing ones in June 2026.
Alake emphasized that fixing the electricity market and power sector is ongoing work and that President Tinubu has not deviated an inch from his commitment. As he seeks Nigerians' mandate for a second term in office, President Tinubu will proudly present his scorecard in the power sector and clearly tell Nigerians what remains to be done.
Key points
- President Tinubu's administration has implemented several measures to reform Nigeria's power sector, including the signing of the Electricity Act 2023 and the creation of a N4 trillion bond programme.
