Power Minister Admits Many Nigerians Still Lack Reliable Electricity, Says Reforms Will Take Time

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has acknowledged that millions of Nigerians are still struggling with unreliable electricity, despite the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to improve power supply across the country.

Tegbe, who made the admission in a post on his X account on Tuesday, said he understood the frustration of Nigerians who had yet to feel the impact of changes being made in the power sector since he assumed office three months ago.

The minister said much of his early focus had been on identifying and fixing longstanding problems across the electricity value chain. Among the steps taken, he highlighted the restoration of the 375-megawatt Alaoji power plant, which had remained offline for about three years.

He said the government had also worked to unlock transmission capacity in Lagos, Abuja and other locations while mobilising funds to address the sector’s long-standing debt burden. Tegbe said these measures were necessary to strengthen the system before improvements could be consistently felt by consumers.

The minister also disclosed that more than 350,000 electricity meters had been deployed following the resolution of a legal dispute involving the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors and electricity meter manufacturers.

Despite these interventions, Tegbe admitted that reliable power supply remained out of reach for many Nigerians. He said he would not dismiss their concerns or pretend that the reforms had already produced results for everyone.

Tegbe stressed that fixing Nigeria’s power sector would require sustained reforms and time, saying he would not make promises of quick solutions that could prove difficult to maintain. He also said the Federal Government currently had no plan to increase electricity tariffs, insisting that his position was not politically motivated.

The minister reaffirmed his commitment to improving grid stability, electricity supply and billing accuracy, as well as speeding up the resolution of consumer complaints. “We’re not there yet, but we’re moving,” he said.