The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has unveiled a comprehensive action plan aimed at stabilising and transforming Nigeria’s electricity sector, with a strong emphasis on shared accountability, transparency, infrastructure protection and market reforms.
Tegbe presented the plan at the second quarterly meeting of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) stakeholders, organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in Abuja.
The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of NERC, Musiliu Oseni, and attended by key players in the power sector, including operators, regulators and policymakers. Also present were the Special Adviser to the President on Power, Rilwan Lanre Babalola, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Mahmud Mamman.
Delivering the keynote address, the minister said resolving Nigeria’s longstanding electricity challenges requires collective commitment from all stakeholders across the power value chain.
“Nigeria’s power crisis was not built by one hand, and it will not be fixed by one hand,” Tegbe said, urging generation companies, distribution companies, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the Nigerian Independent System Operator, regulators and government institutions to take shared responsibility for addressing the sector’s challenges.
On infrastructure, Tegbe called for electricity facilities to be designated as Critical National Assets to curb vandalism, grid sabotage and energy theft, which he described as acts of economic sabotage affecting millions of Nigerians.
He said the government would continue efforts to secure existing power infrastructure while addressing transmission bottlenecks, improving spinning reserves and upgrading priority substation relays to strengthen grid reliability.
The minister also outlined plans to accelerate nationwide metering and reform electricity tariffs.
According to him, estimated billing has unfairly burdened many consumers while concealing inefficiencies within the electricity market.
He said the ministry is collaborating with industry stakeholders to fast-track meter deployment, reduce Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses and develop a sustainable tariff transition framework that protects vulnerable consumers while providing investors with the confidence needed for long-term investment.
Tegbe further stressed the need for improved governance and transparency within the electricity market, insisting that tariff reforms can only succeed if payment compliance is strengthened across the industry.
He called for greater transparency in the calculation of Derived Remittance Obligations, saying confidence in the electricity market depends on openness and accountability.
“Trust in the market begins with trust in the numbers,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that the Ministry of Power is working towards publishing key performance indicators and performance scorecards for electricity generation and distribution companies to improve accountability and enable the public to assess the performance of operators.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to transparency, efficient service delivery and accountability, saying reforms in the power sector would be driven by measurable actions rather than promises.
“Reform is not a promise deferred. It is a discipline being executed, every day,” Tegbe said.
