The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has apologised to Nigerians over persistent electricity challenges, admitting that millions of households and businesses may have to wait another three to five years before experiencing a stable power supply.
Tegbe said he understood the frustration of Nigerians who continue to struggle with unreliable electricity, assuring them that the federal government was committed to addressing the structural problems affecting the power sector.
Speaking on TVC Breakfast on Monday, the minister acknowledged the hardship caused by frequent outages, particularly for young people working remotely, businesses, and households that depend on electricity for their daily activities.
He said, “What I have to say is that I feel your pain. And I’ll honestly tell you I’m totally committed to fixing these electricity assets, working with Mr. President. Mr. President is 100 percent committed to fixing this.”
When asked when Nigerians could expect stable electricity, Tegbe said the country needed time to expand generation capacity, strengthen transmission infrastructure and attract more private-sector investment.
“Three to five years from now, Nigerians will start to experience [stability],” he said, explaining that infrastructure development and capacity expansion could not happen overnight.
The minister identified the planned East-West Super Grid, investments in electricity infrastructure, and increased private-sector participation in distribution and transmission as key elements of the government’s strategy.
He said the proposed Super Grid would cost about $2 billion and have the capacity to accommodate at least 19,000 megawatts of electricity.
Tegbe also said the government was working to improve the performance of existing power assets and address weaknesses across the electricity value chain.
He disclosed that Nigeria currently has an installed generation capacity of about 13,625 megawatts but generates only around 5,000 megawatts because of operational and infrastructure constraints.
The minister’s remarks come amid persistent complaints over unreliable power supply, with recent disruptions affecting households and businesses in parts of the country.
Addressing the recent outages, he maintained that they were not caused by a national grid collapse but by reduced supply following planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station and the vandalisation of the Benin-Egbin 330 kV transmission line.
He said the affected transmission line had been restored, while the government was also working to repair the Oshogbo-Ikeja West transmission line, which had been out of service for about 18 months following the vandalisation of six towers.
Tegbe appealed to Nigerians to remain patient, insisting that the government was determined to improve the electricity supply and deliver lasting stability to the sector.
Credit: tvcnews.tv
