Nigeria’s Power Minister Acknowledges Continued Electricity Shortfalls

Nigeria's Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has publicly acknowledged that many Nigerians continue to struggle with unreliable electricity. He said people are frustrated because they have not yet seen the improvements the government has discussed, and he refused to pretend the power situation is better than it is.

Tegbe listed concrete steps his ministry and the federal government have taken since he assumed office three months earlier. They include:

• Restoring a previously non-operational plant at Alaoji, which now produces 375 megawatts.
• Clearing congestion in transmission corridors in Lagos, Abuja and other cities so more power can flow.
• Paying outstanding debts owed by the power sector to relevant contractors and companies.
• Distributing more than 350,000 electricity meters to improve accuracy of billing, after resolving a legal dispute involving meter manufacturers.

Tegbe said the government is not planning to raise electricity prices and framed that as a factual position rather than a political claim.

When he took office, Tegbe said his objectives were disciplined execution, stabilising the national grid through reforms, delivering visible improvements to consumers, and communicating honestly. He reiterated that fixing the sector will take time and that he will not make promises he cannot keep.

The minister's remarks make clear that progress is incremental and constrained by infrastructure, legal and financial issues that take time to resolve. Restoring generation capacity, clearing transmission bottlenecks and settling sector obligations have produced measurable gains, yet those steps have not yet translated to steady, nationwide service for many consumers.

Stakeholders will likely track these items to judge whether reforms move beyond short-term fixes:

• Reductions in transmission losses and continued clearing of congestion in urban corridors.
• Further meter rollouts and whether household billing becomes more reliable.
• Any changes to tariff policy despite the minister's current position.

The minister acknowledged the gap between government actions and public experience. He framed his strategy around long-term reform and honest communication, while listing recent operational steps that aim to stabilise supply. For many Nigerians, however, visible and consistent improvement remains pending.