Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has said he will not make promises of constant electricity supply but will work toward clear improvement in the sector.
Newsmen reports that he made this known during his screening before senators on Wednesday, where he explained his plans for the power sector if confirmed for the role.
Tegbe said electricity remains very important for the country’s growth and daily activities, but admitted that Nigeria still faces long-standing issues such as unstable supply, inaccurate billing, and lack of trust between consumers and operators.
He explained that rather than give unrealistic expectations, his focus would be on gradual and visible changes that Nigerians can notice in a short time.
He also pointed out that Nigeria still has a large metering gap of about 44 per cent, although government efforts in recent times have led to the distribution of millions of meters.
According to him, attention will be placed on improving electricity distribution, stabilizing gas and generation supply, strengthening transmission systems, and improving accountability and openness across the sector.
Tegbe also noted that repeated system failures are linked to deeper structural problems and not just random incidents.
He further stated that Nigerians should expect accountability, adding that progress will be measured within months rather than years.
Tegbe also warned that some interests benefit from the current failures in the system and assured that steps will be taken to address such issues while reforming the sector.
He said: “I will not stand here and say tomorrow, I will give you 24 hours electricity. But what I will tell you, and I will be very honest about it, is that I will ensure that visible improvement is seen across the country in the shortest time possible. I will replace uncertainty for Nigerians with clarity, and inefficiency with discipline.
“We must reduce system disturbances and strengthen transmission, tariffs must reflect services, and tariffs must justify service, and we must close the trust gap between operators and our citizens.
“Grid collapse is not accidental; it reflects deeper structural problems. If there are no results in three months, there will be none in six. Nigerians should hold us accountable. There are elements that do not want the system to work because they benefit from its failure. We will take them on.”
NaijaNews / Tunmise Adesanmi
