Power minister pledges to end grid collapse, seeks public accountability

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has pledged urgent reforms to address persistent national grid collapses and stabilise electricity supply across the country.

He gave the assurance during his screening at the Senate, where he was later confirmed following a rigorous session presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Lawmakers pressed him on timelines, transparency and a clear roadmap to revive the struggling power sector.

Mr Tegbe acknowledged that repeated grid failures were rooted in deeper structural problems, including weak coordination, inadequate gas supply and poor enforcement of technical standards. He described the crisis as systemic rather than accidental.

He pledged to deliver measurable improvements within 100 days, including stabilising the grid and launching a public performance dashboard to enable Nigerians track progress and hold the ministry accountable. “If there are no results in three months, there will be none in six,” he said.

Lawmakers expressed concern over the sector’s long-standing challenges, including transmission bottlenecks, infrastructure vandalism and a liquidity crisis estimated at about six trillion naira. Senator Mohammed Monguno described grid collapse as a major setback to Nigeria’s development, while Senator Tokunbo Abiru called for clear timelines to achieve stable electricity supply.

The minister also warned of vested interests benefiting from inefficiencies in the system, pledging to confront sabotage and strengthen collaboration with security agencies to protect critical infrastructure.

On reforms, Mr Tegbe said the government would pursue cost-reflective tariffs while ensuring affordability for vulnerable consumers. He also outlined plans to improve coordination across generation, transmission and distribution segments, expand metering and promote renewable energy solutions for underserved communities.

Despite the scrutiny, lawmakers expressed cautious optimism about his plans, describing his appointment as a critical test of efforts to end recurring grid failures and improve electricity supply nationwide.

Source: The Punch