Tegbe targets 6,500MW power supply by December after fellow ministers’ past failures

MINISTER of Power, Dr Joseph Tegbe, says the Nigerian government is targeting 6,500 megawatts (MW) in electricity supply by December 2026 as it steps up efforts to improve power availability and strengthen the national grid. He made this promise despite the failures by his predecesssors to fulfil their promise of raising electricity supply in the nation.

Tegbe disclosed this on Wednesday at the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO), a company jointly established by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp).

He said the government’s priority was not simply to add more megawatts to the system but to ensure that electricity generated is delivered consistently to homes, businesses and industrial centres.

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The minister said RAMCO would provide a new framework for managing publicly funded energy assets, with its operations anchored on professional management, sound governance, discipline, sustainability and performance measurement.

He added that the asset-management model would eventually be extended from renewable energy projects to the broader energy sector.

Tegbe described Nigeria’s power situation as an ’embarrassing paradox.’ noting that the country has significant energy resources and installed power infrastructure but has yet to achieve dependable electricity supply.

He said the government had identified three major energy zones and corridors for technical assessment, with audits currently being conducted to establish the condition of infrastructure along the routes.

The assessment will cover critical transmission equipment, including insulators, conductors and transmission towers, he said.

According to Tegbe, some of the infrastructure has been in operation for about 42 years, making the replacement of ageing components necessary to improve the transmission system.

He said the government was equally developing a sustainable repayment framework to tackle liquidity problems in the electricity market.

The minister added that existing power assets would be better utilised by connecting them to industrial clusters and economic corridors where reliable electricity can support production and economic activity.

He said mini-grids would be deployed in communities where transmission infrastructure is unavailable.

“Wherever we do not have a transmission line, we will fill it up with mini-grids going forward,”Tegbe said.

Tegbe said the government’s long-term plan would integrate grid electricity with embedded generation, interconnected and isolated networks, distributed renewable energy, storage systems and other technologies suited to particular communities and economic clusters.

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He said the strategy marked a departure from the conventional approach of building and commissioning infrastructure without sufficient attention to its long-term management.

Under the new framework, government would identify risks, arrange financing, construct and upgrade assets, maintain and optimise them, and eventually recycle or renew infrastructure when necessary.

Tegbe said additional transmission facilities and energy corridors would also be developed to improve grid resilience.

He added that the broader objective was to ensure that investments in the power sector remain sustainable and translate into reliable electricity supply for Nigerians.