The Minister-designate for Power, Joseph Tegbe, has identified aging infrastructure, vandalism, overloading and inadequate gas supply as the major causes of Nigeria’s frequent national grid collapse.
Tegbe made the disclosure on Wednesday during his screening by the Senate, stressing the urgent need to stabilise electricity operations through improved discipline, effective frequency control and resolution of liquidity challenges in the sector.
He described recurring grid failures as “a symptom of a weak system,” warning that a departure from current practices was necessary to achieve sustainable results in the power sector.
According to him, top security institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, would be involved in curbing the increasing cases of vandalism and theft of power infrastructure across the country.
The minister-designate also highlighted persistent underutilisation within the sector, noting that out of over 13,000 megawatts of installed capacity, less than 7,000 megawatts is currently being generated, while distribution hovers below 4,000 megawatts at any given time.
Tegbe argued that Nigeria’s reliance on a single national grid is unsustainable, pointing out that “hardly any country” depends solely on one grid system for electricity supply.
“There must be a shift to mini-grids and we will encourage the setting up of mini-grids to service catchment areas.
“Sub-nationals will be encouraged to get more involved, as we have in Aba, in Abia State, Enugu and Bayelsa State. We will support them through collaboration because the more they work, the more they free the national grid,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of ensuring reliable electricity supply to industries and small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), underscoring the need for accountability and responsibility among all stakeholders.
Addressing concerns over rising electricity tariffs, Tegbe cautioned that operators must prioritise the protection of vulnerable consumers before implementing market-reflective pricing.s
“We are not going to do things the way they are being done. We are going to do things differently and I will be consulting widely, including with members of the National Assembly,” he said.
“I have experts with me on this journey. I have Lanre Babalola who was a former minister and Ayo Gbeleyi who is also an expert in the sector. In the next 100 days I will be able to show improvements.”
He was confirmed as minister by the Senate through a unanimous voice vote.
Tegbe was nominated by President Bola Tinubu to replace Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, who recently resigned to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
