Senate confirms Tegbe as power minister, demands urgent action on grid collapse

Nigeria’s Senate has confirmed Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the country’s new Minister of Power, while charging him to urgently tackle the persistent collapse of the national grid, weak transmission infrastructure, and the worsening liquidity crisis crippling the electricity sector.

The confirmation followed an extensive screening session presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, during which lawmakers demanded clear timelines and measurable reforms to stabilise power supply across the country.

Several senators described Nigeria’s electricity challenges as one of the biggest obstacles to economic growth and industrial development, warning that years of inefficiency and policy failures had continued to weaken businesses and discourage investment.

Leading the debate, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno described Tegbe’s appointment as “a square peg in a square hole,” but stressed that the power sector required immediate and decisive intervention.

Monguno lamented the repeated collapse of the national grid, which has caused widespread blackouts across Nigeria in recent years, adding that poor transmission systems have prevented generated electricity from reaching consumers effectively.

“Grid collapse has become a recurring decimal affecting our quest for development,” the lawmaker said during the session.

Responding to lawmakers, Tegbe acknowledged that the country’s power crisis was rooted in deep structural and operational failures, including poor coordination, weak enforcement of standards, and inadequate gas supply to generation companies.

“Grid collapse is not an accident; it is a symptom of a system problem,” he said, promising to enforce stricter operational discipline and improve frequency management within the electricity network.

The minister-designate also pledged visible improvements within his first 100 days in office, including efforts to stabilise the grid and introduce a public performance dashboard aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the sector.

“If you don’t see results in three months, you won’t see them in six months. Nigerians must hold us accountable,” Tegbe told the Senate.

Lawmakers also raised concerns over the estimated N6 trillion liquidity crisis affecting the power sector, warning that mounting debts across the value chain have discouraged investors and weakened electricity distribution nationwide.

Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro questioned how the incoming minister planned to address the growing debt burden and financial instability in the industry.

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In response, Tegbe admitted that the current financial structure was unsustainable and proposed market-reflective tariffs alongside measures to protect low-income consumers.

“Electricity must remain affordable while ensuring sustainability in the sector,” he said.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu also criticised the fragmentation of the sector, arguing that the separation of generation, transmission, and distribution companies had weakened coordination and efficiency.

Beyond grid stability, lawmakers expressed concern over the continued vandalisation of electricity infrastructure, particularly in conflict-prone areas of the country. Tegbe described the attacks as a major national security threat and promised closer collaboration with security agencies to protect critical power assets.

He also pledged to expand rural electrification projects through mini-grid and renewable energy initiatives, especially solar power systems targeted at underserved communities.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin said Nigeria’s inability to provide stable electricity had continued to weaken the competitiveness of local industries and limit economic growth.

“Our industries cannot compete globally because of inadequate electricity. We need results, not promises,” he said.

During the session, Akpabio alleged that vested interests benefiting from Nigeria’s unreliable power supply, including what he described as a “generator cabal,” had continued to frustrate reforms in the sector.

“There are elements not interested in power working efficiently because they profit from the inefficiencies,” the Senate President said.

Tegbe’s confirmation comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s electricity sector, which has faced repeated nationwide blackouts, inadequate generation capacity, mounting debts, and growing public frustration over poor power supply despite years of privatisation and reform efforts.

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