Despite continuous attempts by the Federal Government to increase power supply throughout the nation, Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power, has recognised that many Nigerians still lack dependable energy.
In a post on his X handle on Tuesday, Tegbe said that he acknowledged the anguish of Nigerians who had not yet seen the changes in the power industry since he took office three months prior.
He said that his government had mostly concentrated on identifying and resolving long-standing issues in the industry, such as bringing the 375 megawatt Alaoji power plant back online after it had been out for three years.
“A large portion of this time was devoted to diagnosis and repair; we restored the 375MW Alaoji plant after it had been offline for three years, unlocked transmission capacity in Lagos, Abuja, and other locations, and mobilised funds toward a debt burden that has quietly undermined this sector for years,” he stated.
Following the conclusion of what he called a legal maze involving the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors and Manufacturers of Nigeria, the minister continued, the government had also installed over 350,000 electricity meters.
However, Tegbe acknowledged that many Nigerians have not yet received dependable electricity as a result of the steps.
It’s true that many Nigerians still lack dependable electricity, and I can see how frustrating it might be to read about advancements you haven’t yet experienced firsthand. “I won’t try to hide that,” he declared.
He emphasised that he would not make promises of short-term fixes that would not be sustainable and stated that restoring the power sector would require time and ongoing improvements.
The minister added that his stance was not driven by politics and that there was no intention to raise electricity rates.
“To be clear, this is not a political statement, and there is no plan to raise tariffs,” he stated.
Tegbe reaffirmed his dedication to enhancing grid stability, electricity supply dependability, and billing correctness while guaranteeing quicker customer complaint resolution.
He expressed gratitude to Nigerians who persisted in contacting the government about the difficulties associated with the delivery of energy as well as officials who worked in the industry under trying circumstances.
He remarked, “We’re moving, but we’re not there yet.”
