The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Mr Joseph Tegbe as Minister of Power.This followed his successful screening at the plenary.
During an extensive deliberation by the Senate Committee of the Whole, the lawmakers noted that Nigeria’s installed generation exceeded 13,000MW yet actual supply rarely surpasses 4,500MW because transmission and distribution systems remained weak.
In his response to questions on Nigeria’s power crisis, Tegbe expressed confidence that visible improvements would emerge within three to six months.
He said President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians expected measurable progress and pledged immediate reforms that would address the longstanding electricity challenges.
He promised Nigerians and the Senate that his tenure would deliver visible progress capable of transforming the power sector.
“My promise to Nigeria and to this chamber is that Nigerians will see visible improvement in the sector,” he stated.
Tegbe said he would strengthen collaboration among the Ministry of Power, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Transmission Company of Nigeria( TCN), and stakeholders.
He stressed that Nigeria’s electricity crisis extended beyond technical failures, encompassing governance, capitalisation, sustainability, gas supply, and commercial inefficiencies.
He described recurring grid collapse as evidence of weak transmission systems, aging infrastructure, unstable frequency control, and inadequate regulatory enforcement.
In his remark, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio urged Tegbe to avoid bureaucratic traps and prioritise lasting solutions over contract-driven maintenance culture.
He emphasised that stable electricity remained essential for industrialisation, national security, economic growth, and Nigeria’s development aspirations.
The Senate President also condemned exploitative billing by DSTV and electricity providers.
He questioned why Nigerians pay for unused services while consumers abroad enjoyed pay-as-you-go systems without unfair deductions.
