Nigeria’s Minister-designate for Power, Joseph Tegbe, has denied reports alleging that he promised to fix the country’s troubled power grid within three months.
Tegbe, through his spokesperson, Adeola Adelabu, described the reports as inaccurate and a distortion of comments he made during his Senate screening on May 6, 2026.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the spokesperson clarified that the minister-designate did not give a three-month deadline for resolving Nigeria’s longstanding electricity challenges.
“Our attention has been drawn to inaccurate media reports alleging that the Honourable Minister-designate, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, promised to fix Nigeria’s power grid within three months.
“This claim is a clear misrepresentation of his remarks. At his Senate screening on May 6, 2026, Mr Tegbe made no such commitment,” the statement said.
According to the clarification, Tegbe told lawmakers that timelines for reforms in the power sector were still being determined and would depend on detailed diagnostics and consultations with relevant stakeholders.
The statement noted that the minister-designate assured senators that immediate measures aimed at stabilising the national grid would begin within his first 100 days in office, while broader reforms in the sector could take up to one year to implement.
The planned reforms, according to the aide, would prioritise restoring credibility to the power sector, tackling gas supply constraints and expanding electricity metering nationwide.
“My promise to this chamber is that Nigerians will see visible improvement in the sector,” Tegbe reportedly told senators during the screening exercise.
He also pledged to improve grid stability, modernise power infrastructure, strengthen commercial and regulatory frameworks and enforce accountability across the electricity value chain.
On electricity tariffs, Tegbe assured lawmakers that future reforms would balance investor confidence with adequate protection for vulnerable consumers.
The statement further stated that the minister-designate remained committed to transparency, measurable progress and constructive engagement with the media as efforts continue to address Nigeria’s persistent electricity supply challenges.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently nominated Tegbe as Minister of Power following the exit of Adebayo Adelabu during the cabinet reshuffle announced by the presidency.
Tegbe, an engineer and public policy expert, appeared before the Senate where he outlined plans to address critical issues in the electricity sector, including grid instability, metering shortfalls and infrastructure deficits.
