Minister of Power Olasunkanmi Joseph Tegbe has denied making a pledge to fix Nigeria’s national grid collapse within 90 days, stressing that the country’s electricity crisis requires tough, transparent reforms with no instant solutions.
Speaking during his screening before the Senate Committee of the Whole on Wednesday, May 6, Tegbe told lawmakers the sector must abandon its old approaches. “We will not do things the way we used to do before. I will not promise what I cannot deliver,” he said.
Tegbe, who was confirmed as minister after the Senate session presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said decades of reforms had failed to produce expected results and that he would not offer Nigerians unrealistic expectations of 24-hour power supply. “I can’t promise Nigerians 24-hour power supply,” he stated, noting that the focus would be on gradual and visible changes.
While outlining a 100-day reform plan, the minister said the first phase would focus on stabilising the national grid before rolling out another phase of metering to reduce estimated billing. He added that a public performance dashboard would be launched to ensure transparency. “If results are not visible in three months, they won’t be in six,” he told the Senate. “If there are no results in three months, there will be none in six. Nigerians should hold us accountable.”
Tegbe said his priorities include improving power distribution, closing the metering gap of about 44 per cent, strengthening transmission systems, and encouraging sub-national governments to generate electricity to ease pressure on the national grid. He described vandalism of power infrastructure as a national security threat and vowed to confront vested interests benefiting from inefficiencies.
During questioning, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, raised concerns about grid stability, noting the system often collapses whenever supply exceeds 5,000 megawatts. “You must meet the generator ‘cartel’! They will come after you. Make sure that the DISCOs keep to the terms of their contracts,” Abaribe warned.
Tegbe acknowledged that grid collapse reflects deeper structural problems, including poor coordination, weak enforcement of standards, and inadequate gas supply. He also admitted the current electricity market model is unsustainable and pledged to introduce cost-reflective tariffs while protecting vulnerable consumers.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Tegbe on May 6 following the resignation of former minister Adebayo Adelabu, who left to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State. Nigeria’s national grid has recorded no fewer than 20 collapses since the Tinubu administration began in May 2023.
