By YUNUS YUSUF

The Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, has unveiled a roadmap to reposition the electricity sector, with reforms aimed at improving power supply, accelerating infrastructure development, strengthening the national grid and restoring investor confidence.

Tegbe disclosed this on Friday during an interactive media engagement in Lagos.

He said the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, was implementing comprehensive reforms to make electricity more reliable, accessible and financially sustainable while addressing longstanding structural challenges in the industry.

According to him, the “Resetting the Sector” initiative builds on previous reforms and focuses on resolving technical, commercial, governance and liquidity constraints that have hindered the sector’s growth.

“Our objective is clear: make electricity more available, make the grid more reliable, make the market financially sustainable and restore investors’ confidence.

“Ultimately, we want electricity to become a catalyst for national productivity rather than a constraint to economic growth,” he said.

The minister said the government would no longer measure success solely by electricity generation but by improved access to reliable power for households, businesses and industries.

He described the Electricity Act 2023 as a landmark reform that had empowered states to establish electricity markets suited to their development priorities while encouraging competition and private sector investment.

On metering, Tegbe said the Federal Government had launched the Presidential Metering Initiative to install seven million prepaid meters nationwide over the next three years.

He said the government had commenced the training of 5,000 young Nigerians in meter installation and basic electrical engineering to bridge the metering gap and create employment opportunities.

The minister added that procurement challenges that delayed meter acquisition had been resolved, paving the way for the deployment of about 1.56 million meters before the end of the year.

Speaking on transmission infrastructure, Tegbe said investments would be driven by commercial viability and electricity demand to maximise economic returns.

He said the government had consistently generated about 5,000 megawatts of electricity in recent weeks but stressed that generation alone could not guarantee reliable electricity supply.

“Electricity must be generated, transmitted, distributed and paid for. Every part of the value chain must work efficiently for Nigerians to enjoy reliable power,” he said.

The minister also highlighted the Energy for Education and Energy for Health initiatives, under which universities and teaching hospitals are being powered through solar mini-grids.

He disclosed that between 12 and 15 additional solar projects for universities would be inaugurated within the next eight weeks.

According to him, the government aims to increase solar energy’s contribution to Nigeria’s electricity mix to 40 per cent by 2060, alongside hydro and gas-fired generation.

Tegbe said priority projects under the reform programme include a nationwide technical audit of the transmission network and harmonisation of federal and state electricity regulations.

Others, he added, were grid stabilisation, improved revenue collection, asset optimisation and the development of a national super grid capable of transmitting up to 30,000 megawatts.

He expressed optimism that the reforms would significantly strengthen the national grid within the next two to three years.

The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to transparency, accountability and regular stakeholder engagement, urging the media to support the reform agenda through accurate and balanced reporting.

“We are resetting the sector to ensure that electricity becomes a driver of industrialisation, economic growth and improved quality of life for every Nigerian,” he said. NAN)

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