Nigeria's Minister-designate for Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has dismissed media reports claiming he promised to fix the national power grid in three months, calling them inaccurate and misleading. He clarified that while initial grid stabilisation efforts would begin within 100 days, deeper structural reforms in the sector could take significantly longer, possibly up to a year for meaningful progress.
The camp of Nigeria’s Minister-designate for Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has dismissed media reports claiming he promised to fix the country’s troubled national power grid within three months, describing the reports as inaccurate and misleading.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his spokesperson, Adeola Adelabu, the minister-designate clarified that no such commitment was made during his Senate screening on May 6, 2026.
According to the statement, Tegbe had clearly explained that timelines for major reforms in the power sector were still being developed and would depend on technical diagnostics as well as consultations with key stakeholders.
The clarification followed widespread reports suggesting that the minister-designate pledged to completely resolve Nigeria’s persistent electricity grid problems within a three-month period.
The statement stressed that while Tegbe assured lawmakers that initial efforts aimed at stabilising the national grid would begin within his first 100 days in office, he also acknowledged that deeper structural reforms in the sector could take significantly longer.
It quoted the minister-designate as saying that reforms relating to sector credibility, gas supply, metering and operational efficiency may require about one year to achieve meaningful progress.
“My promise to this chamber and to Nigeria is that Nigerians will see visible improvement in the sector,” Tegbe reportedly told senators during the screening.
He further pledged to stabilise the national grid, modernise electricity infrastructure, strengthen commercial frameworks within the sector and enforce accountability across the entire power value chain.
On electricity tariff reforms, Tegbe reportedly assured that vulnerable households would be protected while the government works to balance affordability, sector sustainability, investor confidence and operational efficiency.
The statement also emphasised that the minister-designate remains open to constructive engagement with the media and encouraged journalists to seek clarification where necessary in order to avoid misinformation.
According to the spokesperson, Tegbe views the media as critical partners in nation building and in helping Nigerians understand the scope and direction of the proposed reforms in the power sector.
Nigeria’s electricity sector has continued to face major challenges, including repeated national grid collapses, inadequate generation capacity, weak transmission infrastructure, gas supply constraints, poor metering and mounting debts across the value chain.
The minister-designate’s clarification comes amid heightened public expectations over the ability of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the country’s longstanding electricity crisis and improve power supply to homes and businesses.
