The Honourable Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has unveiled a comprehensive Ministerial Action Plan aimed at stabilising and transforming Nigeria’s electricity sector, declaring that the country’s long-standing power crisis can only be resolved through collective responsibility and strict accountability.
Tegbe made this known while delivering a keynote address at the second quarterly Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) Stakeholders Meeting, convened by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Abuja.
The high-level forum, chaired by NERC Chairman Dr. Musiliu Oseni, brought together key players across the power value chain, including generation companies (GenCos), distribution companies (DisCos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), regulators, and policymakers. Also in attendance were the Special Adviser to the President on Power, Rilwan Lanre Babalola, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Mahmud Mamman.
### **“Shared Responsibility or Shared Failure”**
In a candid assessment of the sector, Tegbe stressed that Nigeria’s electricity challenges are deeply rooted and cannot be resolved by isolated efforts.
“Nigeria’s power crisis was not built by one hand, and it will not be fixed by one hand,” the Minister stated, urging all stakeholders to take ownership of both the problems and the solutions.
### **Power Assets as National Security Priority**
Addressing infrastructure concerns, Tegbe called for the formal designation of electricity infrastructure as Critical National Assets, warning that vandalism, grid sabotage, and energy theft amount to “economic warfare” against Nigerian citizens.
He disclosed that the government is simultaneously focusing on securing existing infrastructure while optimising output, with attention on transmission bottlenecks, spinning reserves, and substation relay systems to improve short-term grid stability.
### **Metering Reform and Tariff Realignment**
On the contentious issue of billing, the Minister acknowledged that estimated billing has disproportionately burdened Nigerians while concealing inefficiencies within the system.
He revealed plans to accelerate nationwide metering, reduce Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses, and implement a structured tariff transition framework that balances consumer protection with investor confidence.
The approach, he said, is designed to shield vulnerable citizens from sudden cost increases while ensuring the sector remains attractive for long-term investment.
### **Transparency and Market Discipline**
Tegbe emphasised that meaningful reform must be anchored on transparency and strict financial discipline. He called for clearer and more transparent Derived Remittance Obligation (DRO) calculations, noting that trust in the electricity market depends on credible and verifiable data.
“Trust in the market begins with trust in the numbers,” he said.
In a move aimed at strengthening accountability, the Minister also announced plans to publicly release performance indicators and scorecards for GenCos and DisCos—making operational efficiency and underperformance visible to Nigerians.
### **A Reform Agenda Built on Speed and Accountability**
Concluding his address, Tegbe outlined three guiding principles for his leadership: transparency, speed, and accountability.
He pledged to eliminate bureaucratic delays, ensure open governance, and enforce consequences for actions that undermine sectoral progress.
“Reform is not a promise deferred,” the Minister declared. “It is a discipline being executed, every day.”
The NESI meeting marks a renewed push by the Federal Government to confront longstanding inefficiencies in the power sector, with stakeholders now under increasing pressure to align with a results-driven reform agenda.
