…Minister Tegbe says ₦1.23trn mobilised to clear sector debt, 375MW Alaoji plant back on grid
The Federal Government on Wednesday declared that it has no plan to increase electricity tariffs, stressing that the position is not a political statement.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, made the declaration in Abuja at a media parley marking his first 100 days in office.
“We have no plan to increase electricity tariffs,” he said.
Tegbe disclosed that power generation peaked at 5,330 megawatts (MW) in August and September, up from between 3,700MW and 4,700MW before June.
He said the government was focused on stabilising the electricity value chain, restoring financial discipline and strengthening governance across the sector.
According to him, an estimated ₦1.23 trillion has been mobilised to settle the backlog of power-sector debt, as part of efforts to tackle the sector’s estimated ₦3.3 trillion debt burden. He added that the financing is expected to improve liquidity in the electricity market and strengthen operators’ capacity to sustain generation and supply.
The minister also announced the return of the 375MW Alaoji open-cycle power plant to the national grid after three years offline.
He said newly commissioned transformers at Apapa, Ijora, Alausa and Lekki in Lagos had unlocked 672MW of transmission capacity, while a new 300MVA transformer at Katampe, Abuja, had unlocked another 240MW.
Tegbe added that the government had worked with relevant agencies to release more than 300 containers of critical power equipment held at the ports. He described the situation as one of the sector’s peculiar paradoxes: unfinished electricity projects existing alongside equipment stranded in storage.
On metering, he said about 350,000 meters were installed during his first 100 days, bringing cumulative installations to 1,004,260 as of August 2026.
He said the resolution of the AMMON litigation had unlocked the procurement of about 1.4 million smart meters. A further 90,000 meters have been installed in military formations, while 5,000 young Nigerians are being trained under the Power Force programme as smart-meter installers.
Acknowledging that improved national figures do not necessarily translate into better supply for every household, Tegbe said: “National progress can coexist with an unreliable feeder in a particular community. The ministry’s challenge is to ensure that improvements recorded in some locations are extended to communities across the country.”
On renewables, he said 62 solar and mini-grid installations had been completed across 30 states, representing about 43.6MW of installed solar capacity, 41,735 new connections and an estimated beneficiary reach of more than 208,000 people.
He cited the recently commissioned 3MW solar hybrid system at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, as part of efforts to provide more dependable electricity to educational institutions.
Tegbe also announced the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company, which he said would professionally manage publicly financed renewable-energy assets and seek to raise ₦3 trillion over the coming years.
Looking ahead, he said the next six months would be devoted to converting the repairs and reforms undertaken in his first 100 days into more visible improvements in electricity supply. The Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano transmission corridors were named as priorities for grid stabilisation.
The minister pledged greater transparency through performance indicators and scorecards, publication of project costs and operator performance, accelerated universal metering, and stronger action against vandalism and electricity theft.
“It’s been 100 days on this assignment. This is not to say that we have reached our destination, not at all. But we have made modest progress,” he said.
Tegbe urged the media to maintain scrutiny of the power sector and called on communities to help protect electricity infrastructure.
“Electricity reform serves every Nigerian, whatever their political affiliation or place of residence,” he said.
