On Friday, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe met senior journalists in Abuja to clarify comments about electricity tariffs and outline his agenda for the sector. The meeting followed a wave of media reports that suggested the federal government planned to raise tariffs and eliminate subsidies, a narrative the minister said was based on inaccurate details. Gaffar Tunde, an analyst and stakeholder in the Nigerian electricity supply industry, said the remarks were clarified during the engagement.
Tegbe said his first priority is a comprehensive technical audit of the transmission segment of the national grid. The audit will identify ageing assets, overloaded substations, weak transmission corridors, protection failures, system bottlenecks and operational vulnerabilities. The findings will provide a factual basis for prioritising investments, reducing system failures, improving planning and ensuring that every naira invested delivers measurable value.
He announced that the ministry will begin strategic investments in three critical transmission corridors – Lagos, Enugu–Port Harcourt and Abuja–Kaduna–Kano – to improve grid stability. The minister also revealed an integrated approach to electricity distribution, with the Rural Electrification Agency covering gaps to improve delivery. He described a “let the strong support the weak” strategy, targeting commercially viable areas with high demand to improve liquidity and enable more projects that deliver results for Nigerians.
Service delivery to protect vulnerable Nigerians was highlighted as a priority. Tegbe acknowledged that the country is not yet where it needs to be but noted progress, citing the achievement of 5,000 MW in generation. He stressed that the ultimate goal is delivering transmission directly to households, communities and industrial clusters, which he considers true success.
The minister also mentioned completed mini‑grid projects that power universities and Health centres. He announced a new phase of the project to supply electricity to the University of Lagos, UCH Ibadan and the Polytechnic, Ibadan, among others.
Tegbe clarified that he did not announce plans to make Nigerians suffer or to enrich a select few solar manufacturers. He also did not say that the electricity subsidy is gone. Instead, he explained that a subsidy in the electricity sector differs from petrol subsidies, representing a tariff shortfall rather than a direct handout.
He also clarified that he was not misquoted in earlier reports. The minister urged the media to focus on the positives and the journey ahead. He said the electricity sector still has a long way to go but that progress is being made under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has demonstrated a strong will to deliver a dividend owed to every Nigerian.
