By – Lawal Sale
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Joseph Tegbe as the new Minister of Power, following a successful screening during a plenary. His confirmation came after extensive deliberations by the Senate Committee of the whole.
Responding to questions on Nigeria’s protracted power crisis, Tegbe expressed confidence that visible improvements would emerge within three to six months. He stated that President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians expect measurable progress and pledged immediate, far-reaching reforms to tackle the country’s longstanding electricity challenges.
“My promise to Nigeria and to this chamber is that Nigerians will see visible improvement in the sector,” Tegbe said.
Tegbe vowed to conduct an independent diagnostic review of the power sector while deepening transparency and public sector accountability. He also expressed commitment to strengthening collaboration among the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and other key stakeholders.
He stressed that the electricity crisis extends beyond technical failures to encompass governance deficits, inadequate capitalisation, sustainability issues, gas supply constraints, and commercial inefficiencies. He described recurring national grid collapses as symptoms of weak transmission systems, ageing infrastructure, unstable frequency control, and insufficient regulatory enforcement.
According to him, gas shortages, transmission bottlenecks, and poor coordination continue to keep electricity generation well below installed national capacity.
He pledged to stabilise the national grid, modernise infrastructure, enhance commercial frameworks, and enforce accountability across the entire electricity value chain. On tariff reforms, he promised to protect vulnerable households while balancing sustainability, investor confidence, and broader sector efficiency.
The new minister also expressed support for sub-national investments in mini-grids, solar expansion, and state-level participation under the Electricity Act. Rejecting past failed approaches, he called for innovation, broad consultation, and difficult but necessary decisions to resolve Nigeria’s chronic power crisis.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged Tegbe to avoid bureaucratic pitfalls and prioritise lasting solutions over a contract-driven maintenance culture.
Akpabio emphasised that stable electricity is essential for industrialisation, national security, economic growth, and Nigeria’s broader development aspirations.
It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu nominated Tegbe last Thursday, following the resignation of his predecessor, Adebayo Adelabu, who left the cabinet to pursue political ambitions.
In a statement on Thursday, April 30, 2026, by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, described Tegbe as an expert in fiscal and economic reform with over 35 years of experience across both public and private sectors.
He also previously served at KPMG Africa, where he led wide-ranging initiatives in fiscal policy reform, institutional transformation, and governance.
Prior to his nomination for the ministerial role, Tegbe was Director General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), where he was responsible for strengthening bilateral development cooperation between Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China. (GSF)