Newly appointed Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has called for stronger collaboration among agencies in Nigeria’s electricity sector, saying improved coordination and governance are critical to achieving the Federal Government’s power sector targets.
At his inaugural meeting with chief executives and heads of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Power in Abuja on Tuesday, Tegbe said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration remains focused on increasing electricity generation, expanding transmission capacity, improving sector liquidity, and attracting renewable energy investments.
In a statement by Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs at the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Tegbe acknowledged progress recorded in the sector over the past three years but said more work was needed to meet government targets.
“We have made considerable progress, but we are not yet where we want to be because we have not met the targets set for us. I believe that by approaching things differently, we can achieve and even surpass those targets,” he said.
The minister described governance and coordination challenges as major obstacles to the sector’s growth, stressing that no single agency could address the industry's problems alone.
“This sector faces serious challenges. Technical issues account for only a fraction of those challenges. The larger challenge is governance. No agency, no department, no unit can solve this sector’s problems alone,” Tegbe said.
He urged agencies and stakeholders to operate as “one team with one mandate,” emphasizing open communication, intelligence sharing, and coordinated action.
Tegbe also highlighted the strategic role of the Transmission Company of Nigeria in strengthening the national grid and praised the agency for swiftly restoring electricity supply following a recent feeder outage.
“TCN, I am happy with you. The feeder station went off and there was a series of communications. I gave a directive that it should be fixed within 12 hours. By 5:20 p.m., I received confirmation that it had been restored,” he said.
The minister said the quick restoration demonstrated the benefits of commitment, teamwork, and effective coordination across the power sector.
He also announced plans to introduce a performance-based incentive framework aimed at rewarding productivity, innovation, and excellence, while pledging regular engagement with stakeholders and greater transparency in addressing industry challenges.
Chief executives of agencies including TCN, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, the Rural Electrification Agency, the Nigerian Independent System Operator, the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, FGN Power Company and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc attended the meeting.
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