The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has admitted that many Nigerians are still without reliable electricity despite efforts by the Federal Government to improve power supply across the country.
Tegbe made the admission in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, where he acknowledged the frustration of Nigerians who were yet to feel the impact of ongoing reforms in the power sector.
The minister said the government had spent much of the past three months identifying and tackling some of the long standing problems affecting electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
He listed the restoration of the 375 megawatt Alaoji power plant in Abia State as one of the major steps taken by the government. The plant had reportedly been out of operation for three years.
Tegbe also said the government had worked to increase transmission capacity in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country.
According to him, efforts were also being made to raise funds to address the huge debt burden in the power sector, which he said had affected the performance of the industry for years.
The minister said more than 350,000 electricity meters had also been deployed after the resolution of a legal dispute between the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors and meter manufacturers.
Despite these efforts, Tegbe admitted that many Nigerians were still not enjoying regular electricity.
‘Admittedly, many Nigerians are still without reliable power, and I understand the frustration of hearing about progress you haven’t personally felt yet. I’m not going to pretend that away,’ he said.
He said improving the power sector would take time and sustained efforts, adding that he would not make promises of quick solutions that could not be maintained.
Tegbe also said there was currently no plan by the Federal Government to increase electricity tariffs.
‘To be clear: there’s no plan to raise tariffs, and this is no political statement,’ he said.
The minister said the government remained focused on improving grid stability, providing more reliable electricity and making electricity billing more accurate.
He added that efforts were also underway to ensure that complaints from electricity consumers were resolved more quickly.
Tegbe thanked officials in the power sector for their work and acknowledged Nigerians who continued to raise concerns over the state of electricity supply.
‘We’re not there yet, but we’re moving,’ he said.