The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Joseph Tegbe as Minister of Power after he was successfully screened during plenary.
The confirmation came after deliberation by the Senate Committee of the Whole. Lawmakers noted that while Nigeria’s installed generation capacity exceeds 13,000MW, actual supply rarely surpasses 4,500MW due to weak transmission and distribution systems.
Responding to questions on the country’s electricity crisis, Tegbe said Nigerians should expect visible improvements within three to six months. He pledged immediate reforms to tackle the sector’s longstanding challenges and promised greater transparency and accountability in public sector performance.
“My promise to Nigeria and to this chamber is that Nigerians will see visible improvement in the sector,” he said.
Tegbe outlined plans to conduct independent diagnostics of the power sector and strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and other stakeholders. He stressed that the crisis extends beyond technical failures to include governance, capitalisation, gas supply, and commercial inefficiencies.
He described recurring grid collapses as evidence of aging infrastructure, unstable frequency control, and weak regulatory enforcement, adding that gas shortages and transmission bottlenecks continue to limit generation.
Tegbe also committed to stabilising the national grid, modernising infrastructure, improving commercial frameworks, and ensuring tariff reforms protect vulnerable households while maintaining investor confidence. He expressed support for sub-national investments in mini-grids and solar expansion under the Electricity Act.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged Tegbe to avoid bureaucratic bottlenecks and prioritise lasting solutions over a contract-driven maintenance culture. He also called for action against exploitative billing by power providers and telecom firms, saying Nigerians deserve fair consumer protection.
Akpabio thanked President Bola Tinubu for the nomination, describing Tegbe as the right choice for the critical role.
