THE SENATE on Wednesday confirmed Mr Joseph Tegbe as Minister of Power following his successful screening at the plenary.
Tegbe’s confirmation followed an extensive deliberation by the Senate Committee of the Whole.
The senators noted that Nigeria’s installed generation exceeded 13,000MW yet actual supply rarely surpasses 4,500MW because transmission and distribution systems remained weak.
Responding 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, pledging immediate reforms that would address the longstanding electricity challenges.
Tegbe 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 said.
He pledged to conduct independent diagnostics of the power sector while deepening transparency and accountability in public sector performance.
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.
According to him, gas shortages, transmission bottlenecks, and poor coordination continue to keep electricity generation below installed national capacity.
Tegbe pledged to stabilise the national grid, modernise infrastructure, improve commercial frameworks, and enforce accountability across the electricity value chain.
He promised that tariff reforms would protect vulnerable households while balancing sustainability, investor confidence, and broader sector efficiency.
The minister-designate also pledged support for sub-national investments in mini-grids, solar expansion, and state participation under the Electricity Act.
Rejecting failed past approaches, Tegbe promised innovation, broad consultation, and difficult but necessary decisions to resolve Nigeria’s chronic electricity crisis.
The lawmakers warned that entrenched interests, including generator importers and underperforming distribution firms, could resist meaningful reforms.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged Tegbe to avoid bureaucratic traps and prioritise lasting solutions over contract-driven maintenance culture.
Akpabio 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, questioning why Nigerians pay for unused services while consumers abroad enjoyed pay-as-you-go systems without unfair deductions.
Akpabio urged the minister-designate to address daily subscription charges, estimated billing, stressing that Nigerians deserved fair consumer protection in the telecommunication and in power sectors.
He thanked President Tinubu for the nomination, describing Tegbe as the right choice for the critical national assignment. (NAN)
