By Rosemary Nwanpka
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria following hours of screening and deliberation by lawmakers at the National Assembly.
Tegbe’s confirmation, carried out by the Committee of the Whole, comes as he is expected to take charge of the Ministry of Power, previously overseen by former minister Bayo Adelabu.
During the screening session, senators focused extensively on the persistent challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector, including grid instability, low power supply, and transmission constraints.
In his remarks, Tegbe pledged urgent reforms, promising Nigerians visible improvements within his first 100 days in office if confirmed.
“My promise to Nigeria and to this chamber is that Nigerians will see visible improvement in the sector,” he said.
He outlined a phased action plan beginning with stabilisation of the national grid, followed by aggressive metering deployment across the country.
Tegbe attributed repeated grid collapses to weak transmission infrastructure, aging equipment, unstable frequency control, gas supply shortages, and regulatory gaps, noting that generation capacity is often underutilised due to systemic bottlenecks.
He assured lawmakers that he would prioritise transparency, infrastructure modernisation, improved commercial operations, and strict accountability across the electricity value chain.
“The power sector has no quick fix. We will not do things the way we used to do before. I will not promise what I cannot deliver,” he said.
Tegbe added that Nigerians should hold him accountable if measurable progress is not achieved within the first 100 days.
He also proposed the introduction of a transparent performance dashboard to track sector reforms, stressing the need to close Nigeria’s metering gap and improve consumer visibility.
According to him, sub-national governments would be encouraged to invest in mini-grids and solar projects under the Electricity Act to reduce pressure on the national grid.
“We must close the metering gap and ensure Nigerians can track performance through a transparent public dashboard,” he said.
He further pledged to conduct an independent diagnostic review of the power sector while strengthening collaboration among the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, and other stakeholders.
Tegbe said tariff reforms would be designed to protect vulnerable households while ensuring sector sustainability and investor confidence.
He also warned that entrenched interests within the sector, including generator importers and underperforming distribution companies, could resist reforms.
During the session, Senate Committee on Power Chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, raised concerns over recurring grid collapses whenever supply exceeds 5,000 megawatts.
Former Minister of State for Power, Senator Danjuma Goje, also lamented the sector’s poor performance despite significant investments since 1999, urging bold reforms to reposition it.
Senator Tahir Monguno, on his part, questioned how the nominee would tackle vandalism of electricity infrastructure by criminal groups, particularly in the North-East.
Responding, Tegbe identified gas supply constraints, weak grid discipline, and governance challenges as major issues, while promising closer collaboration with security agencies to protect critical infrastructure.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, urged the new minister to prioritise practical solutions over bureaucratic delays, stressing that stable electricity remains critical to Nigeria’s industrial and economic growth.
Akpabio also criticised unfair billing practices in the power and telecom sectors, calling for stronger consumer protection measures.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for the nomination, describing Tegbe as suitably qualified for the strategic national assignment.
Tegbe’s appointment follows a formal request by President Tinubu to the Senate, which was considered and approved in line with constitutional provisions.
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