Lagos, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- MINISTER for Power, Joseph Tegbe, has unveiled a ministerial action plan aimed at stabilising and expanding Nigeria’s electricity sector, with a strong emphasis on accountability, transparency, infrastructure protection and improved market governance.
Speaking at the second quarterly Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) Stakeholders’ Meeting convened by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Abuja, Tegbe said addressing Nigeria’s electricity challenges requires collective responsibility from all participants across the power value chain.
The meeting, chaired by NERC Chairman Musiliu Oseni, brought together electricity operators, regulators, policymakers and other stakeholders. 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.
Delivering the keynote address, Tegbe said Nigeria’s electricity crisis could only be resolved through coordinated action by generating companies (GenCos), distribution companies (DisCos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), regulators and government.
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“Nigeria’s power crisis was not built by one hand, and it will not be fixed by one hand,” he said, urging all stakeholders to accept shared responsibility for implementing sustainable reforms.
The minister called for electricity infrastructure to be formally designated as Critical National Assets, describing vandalism, grid sabotage and energy theft as attacks on the nation’s economy and the welfare of citizens.
He said efforts to secure existing infrastructure would go hand in hand with improving operational efficiency through measures including strengthening weak transmission corridors, enhancing spinning reserves and upgrading priority substation protection systems to improve grid reliability.
On metering and tariff reforms, Tegbe said estimated billing has unfairly burdened electricity consumers while concealing inefficiencies within the sector. He said the ministry is working with industry stakeholders to accelerate the rollout of prepaid meters, reduce Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses, and implement a sustainable tariff transition framework that protects vulnerable consumers while providing investors with greater regulatory certainty.
The minister also stressed the need for stronger market governance, saying tariff reforms would only succeed if payment obligations are enforced transparently across the electricity market.
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He called for greater transparency in the calculation of Derived Remittance Obligations, arguing that confidence in the sector depends on credible and verifiable financial data.
 “Trust in the market begins with trust in the numbers,” Tegbe said.
He disclosed that the ministry is developing a framework to publish key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance scorecards for electricity generation and distribution companies, enabling the public to track operational performance and accountability across the sector.
Reaffirming his commitment to reform, Tegbe said his administration would be guided by three principles—transparency, speed and accountability.
“Reform is not a promise deferred. It is a discipline being executed every day,” he said.
