Uche Cecil Izuora
The Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has said that Government is exerting pressure to restore stranded capacity and strengthen the commercial and governance foundations required for sustainable investment in the power sector.
As part of activities to mark his first 100 days in office, Tegbe spoke to the media where he informed that the Ministry’s initial focus had been to stabilise the existing system.
The Minister said the country is moving into a new phase of infrastructure development and investment mobilisation as the Federal Government moves from immediate power-sector stabilisation towards building a more resilient and future-ready electricity system.
Tegbe said the Ministry’s initial focus had been to stabilise the existing system, restore stranded capacity and strengthen the commercial and governance foundations required for sustainable investment.
He said the next phase would centre on four priorities: deeper grid stabilisation, development of the Transmission Super Grid, better utilisation of existing assets and preparation for future electricity demand.
Tegbe disclosed that the recent Nigeria-China power mission secured commitments from Sinomach, CMEC, CNEEC and Chinese financiers to accelerate priority projects against defined completion schedules.
According to him, the engagements are intended to move beyond financing discussions towards partnerships involving capital, technology and project delivery.
He said CMEC had reaffirmed its role in the 1.9GW Presidential Power Initiative portfolio, with the first transmission lines scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027.
The CNEEC, he added, had advanced financing arrangements for the US$116 million Zungeru evacuation project, with approval targeted before year-end.
TBEA also committed to a proposed US$500 million industrial park for power-equipment manufacturing, alongside accelerated PPI work and a three-year delivery pathway for the East-West Super Grid.
HengFei Cables committed to supplying cables for PPI Phase Two and proposed a Nigerian assembly plant and training centre.
The Minister said these initiatives would connect infrastructure development with local production and technical capability.
Tegbe said the Ministry has begun technical audits along the Lagos and Abuja transmission corridors to identify system weaknesses and guide investment toward interventions with verified impact.
The Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridors, he said, would remain central to the grid-stabilisation programme.
The Ministry will also begin developing the Transmission Super Grid, while continuing corridor stabilisation through the Presidential Power Initiative and related programmes.
The Minister said the Federal Government had signed a cooperation agreement with Huawei Technologies covering grid digitalisation, loss reduction, SCADA gap assessment, and technical training.
He said improved digital visibility and system control were necessary to strengthen the management and performance of the national electricity network.
Tegbe also welcomed Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration of the Mambila Hydropower Project case, saying the Ministry had engaged Energy China on the project and directed the contractor to explore the most practical delivery approach, including a possible phased approach.
He said larger hydro opportunities, including Mambila, as well as small hydropower projects serving agricultural corridors, form part of the country’s medium- and long-term electricity strategy.
The Minister also highlighted the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO), established to finance renewable-energy assets and infrastructure.
RAMCO is expected to contract competent operators for metering, billing, collection, and maintenance, while targeting the mobilisation of ₦3 trillion over the coming years to support long-term investment and the viability of public renewable-energy assets.
Tegbe said the Ministry’s first 100 days focused on laying the foundations for future expansion.
“Stabilisation is the essential first stage of expansion,” he said.
He added that the Ministry would continue working with development partners including the World Bank, African Finance Corporation, African Development Bank, Sustainable Energy for All and UK PACT on financing, technical assistance, hydropower and electrification.
Over the next six months, he said, the Ministry would seek to convert the repairs, investments and reforms already underway into more visible improvements for electricity consumers.
“Our original commitment to visible, incremental improvements remains the benchmark,” Tegbe said.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to a disciplined approach to solving the sector’s challenges, strategic grid reform, visible improvements in electricity supply and honest communication with Nigerians.