The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, says Africa is central to the future of global energy security, arguing that the continent’s resources, growing energy demand and young population will increasingly shape the global energy landscape.
Tegbe made the assertion on Tuesday in Dubai while delivering the keynote address at the opening plenary of the 50th edition of the Middle East Energy 2026 Leadership Summit, where he spoke on “Energy Security and the Effect of Geopolitics.”
He said energy security in 2026 could no longer be measured by the size of a country’s hydrocarbon reserves alone, but by the resilience of the systems required to keep energy flowing during periods of geopolitical and economic stress.
According to him, those systems include critical mineral supply chains, electricity grids, access to capital and strong institutions capable of sustaining energy supplies to households, hospitals and industries.
Tegbe positioned Nigeria’s ongoing power-sector reforms as part of that wider global challenge, highlighting the country’s more than 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves and its record of supplying liquefied natural gas to markets in Europe and Asia.
He described the Electricity Act 2023 as the most significant reform of Nigeria’s electricity sector in a generation, noting that it ended the federal government’s long-standing monopoly over electricity generation and distribution and opened the way for 37 emerging electricity markets across the federation.
The minister said the success of such reforms would depend not only on infrastructure but also on investor confidence and regulatory certainty.
“Capital does not flee risk; it flees uncertainty. Investors will price risk all day long; what they cannot price is a rule that changes after the contract is signed,” he said.
Tegbe said Nigeria’s reform agenda was therefore also a credibility agenda anchored on regulatory certainty, respect for contracts and bankable offtake arrangements.
He outlined four priorities for strengthening energy security: diversification rather than diplomatic disengagement; treating electricity grids with the same strategic importance historically given to fuel supplies; recognising affordability as a security concern; and ensuring that the global energy transition is orderly, fair and responsive to the circumstances of individual countries.
The minister said Africa’s energy deficit made the continent critical to the global energy conversation, noting that about 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity.
He argued that Africa’s mineral resources, solar potential, youthful workforce and rapidly expanding energy demand would have consequences far beyond the continent, influencing energy security and investment decisions in major global centres including London, Tokyo, Washington and Dubai.
Tegbe therefore called for international partnerships that move beyond the extraction of raw resources to support local processing, manufacturing, skills development and long-term investment in African economies.
“Nigeria has chosen to build. Africa has chosen to build. And we invite you, in the spirit of this remarkable city and this landmark fiftieth summit, to build with us,” he told delegates.
Tegbe is expected to continue his engagements in Dubai during the week, including a ministerial fireside discussion on financing Africa’s power future under the summit’s Africa Spotlight programme.