Electricity grids should be given the same strategic consideration in international energy security planning as petroleum sources, according to Joseph Tegbe, the Minister of Power.
Tegbe made the call on Tuesday during a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the Middle East Energy 2026 Leadership Summit in Dubai, according to a statement from his media assistant, Adeola Labzy.
Speaking at the 50th conference on the topic of “Energy Security and the Effect of Geopolitics,” the minister stated that resilient power infrastructure is now essential to both national and international security due to the shifting global energy landscape.
He maintained that the resilience of the entire energy system, including vital mineral supply chains, grid infrastructure, capital, and institutions, should be taken into account instead of only the presence of hydrocarbon reserves.
He contends that at times of geopolitical and economic strain, a nation’s capacity to maintain the supply of power to households, hospitals, and businesses has to be considered a strategic priority.
He cited regulatory certainty, contract sanctity, and bankable offtake arrangements as crucial to the success of Nigeria’s power sector reforms, which he claimed were intended to create the certainty needed to draw in investment.
The statement partially stated, “The minister outlined four propositions for the summit’s delegates: that diversification, not diplomatic disengagement, is the surest form of strategic insurance; that grids now deserve the same strategic seriousness historically reserved for fuel supply; that affordability is itself a security issue; and that the global energy transition must be orderly, just, and responsive to the circumstances of individual nations.”
Additionally, he saw cost as a security concern and advocated for a fair and orderly global energy transition that considers the unique circumstances of each nation.
Tegbe positioned Nigeria as a key participant in the global energy security debate by highlighting the nation’s more than 200 trillion cubic feet of known gas reserves and its two-decade history of dependable LNG supply to Europe and Asia.
He added that the energy Act 2023 abolished the long-standing Federal Government monopoly and established 37 new energy markets throughout the federation, making it the most comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s power industry in a generation.
The minister stated that President Bola Tinubu was leading the implementation of the changes and that other developing nations looking to improve their energy systems might use Nigeria’s experience as a model.
“Capital does not flee risk; it flees uncertainty,” stated Tegbe. Risk will always be priced by investors, but a regulation that is subject to change after the contract is signed cannot be priced.
With 600 million people living without electricity, he contended that Africa is at the center of global energy geopolitics rather than its periphery, citing the continent’s mineral wealth, solar resources, young labor force, and rapidly rising demand as elements that will influence energy security in London, Tokyo, Washington, and Dubai in the coming decades.
According to him, Africa will be crucial in determining global energy security because of its mineral wealth, solar resources, young labor force, and quickly rising energy consumption.
He advocated for collaborations that would cover local processing, manufacturing, skill transfer, and patient capital in addition to raw resource exploitation. He declared, “Africa is the fulcrum of energy geopolitics, not the periphery.”
Tegbe urged international partners and investors to take part in developing Africa’s energy infrastructure in his closing remarks. ” Nigeria has decided to construct. Africa has decided to construct. And we welcome you to construct with us in the spirit of this amazing city and this historic 50th summit,” he declared.
During the week, the minister is anticipated to take part in further events in Dubai, such as a ministerial fireside discussion on funding Africa’s electricity future as part of the summit’s Africa Spotlight initiative.
