Tegbe outlines five-point power reform plan

Etim Ekpimah

Power Minister-designate Joseph Tegbe told the Senate that fixing Nigeria’s electricity crisis will require coordinated reforms across gas supply, grid stability, distribution, metering and financial discipline, not an unrealistic three-month promise to end grid collapses.
Appearing before the Senate on 6 May following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu as Minister of Power, Tegbe said there was no quick fix to the country’s deep-rooted electricity challenges, but assured Nigerians that visible improvements could begin within the shortest possible time.
His remarks were later misrepresented in some quarters as a pledge to eliminate grid collapses within three months, a claim he has since clarified was false.
During his screening, Tegbe drew on his experience in public service, education, telecommunications and previous advisory roles with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) to present a five-point agenda for reforming the power sector.
Gas supply and generation stability
Tegbe identified the immediate priority as ensuring that existing power plants operate at full available capacity instead of remaining underutilised due to gas shortages.
A major challenge remains the fragile gas-to-power commercial structure, where generation companies often receive only about 30 per cent of invoice payments after waiting between 45 and 60 days under current NBET arrangements.
With gas accounting for a significant portion of generation costs, delayed and inadequate payments have discouraged suppliers, weakening generation stability.
Reducing grid collapses and system disturbances
The minister-designate stressed the need to tackle recurring system failures through investment in transmission infrastructure, stronger grid coordination and improved management of supply-demand imbalances.
He noted that addressing technical weaknesses in the national grid would be central to improving electricity reliability.
Distribution accountability
Tegbe also called for service-reflective tariffs while emphasising the urgent need to cut Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses across distribution companies.
With average sector losses reportedly high, and some DisCos recording significantly worse figures, he said stronger accountability in infrastructure, service delivery and revenue collection was essential.
Metering and transparency
Closing Nigeria’s metering gap was another top priority, with Tegbe arguing that improved metering would enhance billing transparency, consumer trust and revenue assurance.
Financial discipline
He further stressed the need for stronger payment guarantees and market liquidity to enforce contracts and improve confidence across the electricity value chain.
Tegbe’s Senate presentation signals a reform-focused strategy built on measurable progress rather than political soundbites, with success likely to depend on sustained investment and systemic coordination across the sector.