The newly sworn-in Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians of visible improvements in electricity supply, pledging to address longstanding challenges across the generation, transmission and distribution segments of the power sector.
Speaking to State House correspondents shortly after taking the oath of office before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Monday, Tegbe acknowledged the difficulties confronting the sector but stressed that the administration had made significant investments over the past three years to reposition the industry.
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He expressed confidence that the impact of the President’s interventions would soon become more evident through improved service delivery, expanded infrastructure and the commissioning of critical power projects across the country.
“I said it during my Senate confirmation that I am not promising a magic wand, I am not promising 24 hrs seven days in a week power, we will get there ultimately. But what i promise Nigerians is that we will see visible improvements and infrastructure. I can tell you Nigerians have been giving me feedback in the last four weeks, power supply has improved across Nigeria and this is due to the push by the President and the Power is put behind me and also the commitment of our people in the Ministry of Power and all the agencies,” he said.
The minister also assured that vulnerable Nigerians would not be left behind in the ongoing reforms, noting that the administration was committed to ensuring that citizens receive the quality electricity service they deserve.
According to him, President Tinubu fully understands the peculiar challenges facing the power sector and remains determined to address them through sustained investments and policy support aimed at improving generation, transmission and distribution.
“This is a sector that we all know has a couple of challenges and a lot of effort is being put into this sector by this current administration. People might not appreciate it but very soon, people will appreciate it.”
“The President has invested so much in the last three years in this sector however, we are going to be commissioning projects and ensure that the vulnerable are covered and also make sure that whatever it requires, we will make sure that Nigerians actually get the service they deserve in the power sector.” The Minister promised.
Tegbe disclosed that since his confirmation by the Senate four weeks ago, he had engaged key stakeholders in the industry, including the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and officials of the Ministry of Power.
He said the engagements had secured commitments from critical institutions and sector operators, adding that the cooperation was already translating into measurable improvements in electricity supply across parts of the country.
While cautioning Nigerians against expecting immediate solutions, the minister reiterated that he was not promising a “magic wand” or round-the-clock electricity in the short term, but assured citizens that steady and visible progress would continue under his leadership.
“For the last four weeks after my confirmation, I have engaged various key stakeholders in the sector TCN , Ministry of Power, REA .NERC, the power Ministry and they have given commitments and that is what you are seeing today with the improvements and what we would do as much as possible is to ensure that consistency and improvement over the next couple of months.” The Power Minister explained.
Highlighting recent successes, Tegbe cited the restoration of electricity to the Katampe area of Abuja after a feeder station breakdown, noting that TCN engineers repaired the fault and restored supply within 24 hours.
He also pointed to the revival of a Niger Delta Power Holding Company facility that had remained inactive for about three years, describing it as further evidence of the commitment and dedication of workers across the power sector.
“If you see some of the things our people in the sector have accomplished in recent weeks, you will be amazed by their level of commitment and innovation,” the Minister said.
Tegbe called on Nigerians to continue supporting President Tinubu’s administration and to remain patient as efforts intensify to overcome the sector’s challenges.
“Nigerians should please bear with us, the President understands the challenges we are addressing those challenges and we will make sure we fix it both in generation, transmission and distribution.” He urged Nigerians.
He expressed optimism that ongoing reforms would deliver lasting improvements, assuring Nigerians that the country was on course towards a more reliable and sustainable electricity supply system.
“You are going to see more of that but I am calling on Nigerians to support President Tinubu, also pray for us, whatever challenges that this is plagued with by God’s grace, we will overcome it and we will get there. Very soon Nigeria will be lit u by God’s grace.” Tegbe added.
It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu on Monday, swore in Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the new Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Following the resignations of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, to further their political careers, the President nominated the two new ministers, who the Senate duly cleared on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
The new Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, born in Ibadan, Oyo State, is a renowned fiscal, economic and institutional reform strategist and stakeholder engagement expert with over 35 years of professional experience across the public and private sectors.
He holds a First Class Degree in Civil Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, a Master’s degree in Business Administration (Switzerland) and a Master’s degree in Public Administration (Birmingham).
He worked as a Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG in Africa, where he led transformational initiatives, including the design and implementation of major presidential reforms, the articulation and implementation of a strategy for subnational governments.
Joseph Tegbe was also involved in fiscal policy restructuring at all levels of Government. He has worked with organisations such as the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigeria Revenue Service, Shell, Huawei, General Electric, MTN, and Odu’a Group, among others.
