Ministerial nominee for Power, Joseph Tegbe, yesterday vowed to stabilise Nigeria’s troubled electricity grid within his first 100 days in office if confirmed, declaring before the Senate that Nigerians must begin seeing results within three months.
His bold promise immediately turned his screening into a high-pressure accountability session as lawmakers demanded urgent action against persistent grid failures and poor electricity supply.
Tegbe said his immediate priority would be restoring grid stability, enforcing discipline across the power sector and plugging long-standing operational leakages weakening electricity delivery nationwide. He disclosed that the industry remains weighed down by about N6 trillion debt despite government interventions, including the settlement of N3.3 trillion through bonds.The Senate, however, warned that powerful interests benefiting from Nigeria’s electricity crisis could frustrate reforms. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Enyinnaya Abaribe, urged Tegbe to confront what lawmakers described as the “generator cabal,” arguing that importers and sellers of generators profit massively from unstable power supply. Former Power Minister, Senator Danjuma Goje, also cautioned that inefficiency had become a thriving business model within the sector.Lawmakers further highlighted deep technical challenges undermining electricity delivery, noting that although Nigeria generates about 7,500 megawatts, the transmission network struggles to distribute more than 4,500MW without risking collapse. Distribution companies were also blamed for weak infrastructure, poor metering and huge energy losses affecting homes and businesses across the country.Amid the debate, billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote unveiled plans for a massive 20,000MW power project that could dramatically reshape Nigeria’s electricity landscape. Dangote said the expansion forms part of broader investments in energy, fertiliser, LNG and deep-sea port infrastructure, backed by stronger cash flow from his growing industrial empire, including the $20 billion refinery project.