Power outages resolved, stable electricity in 3–5 years — Tegbe

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has confirmed that recent electricity supply disruptions across parts of the country have been resolved. He made the announcement during an interview on a TVC television programme on Monday, November 9, 2026. The minister explained that the outages, which hit four states including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, stemmed from planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Station. Gas supply constraints to some thermal plants and sabotage of key transmission lines further worsened the shortfall on the national grid. Tegbe noted that the combined challenges forced operators to implement load shedding in affected areas. He specifically confirmed that power had returned to several Lagos neighbourhoods by Sunday night. These include Ajah, Lekki, Ikoyi, Magodo and Ikeja, based on personal checks and feedback from residents. The minister stated that the immediate problems had been fixed and that his focus remains on maintaining grid stability. He appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience as efforts continue. Tegbe projected that the country could achieve more consistent electricity supply within the next three to five years. This timeline depends on sustained investments in infrastructure and expansion of both generation and transmission capacity. He acknowledged that visible improvements have already occurred in some locations despite the recent setbacks. The minister emphasised that building robust power infrastructure cannot happen overnight. Growing demand from businesses, data centres, artificial intelligence applications and remote work is increasing the need for reliable electricity.

Nigeria currently has more than 13,000 megawatts of available generation capacity. However, the transmission network has historically been limited to reliably moving around 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts. To address this gap, the Federal Government has commenced procurement for a $2 billion East-West Super Grid project. The infrastructure is expected to raise transmission capacity significantly toward 19,000 megawatts. The project will complement existing facilities and link points including Funtua, Gwagwalada, Ikot Ekpene, Benin, Epe and Ilorin. Completion is targeted within two years once funding and execution advance. Greater private sector participation in the transmission segment is also planned within the next two to three years. Tegbe, who assumed office in June 2026 after being sworn in by President Bola Tinubu, brings a background in civil engineering and management consulting. He graduated with a first-class degree from Obafemi Awolowo University and previously served as a senior partner at KPMG Africa. He also held the position of Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership. Early actions under his leadership included restoring the 375-megawatt Alaoji open-cycle plant to the grid after three years of inactivity. Additional transformer installations in Lagos and Abuja unlocked hundreds of megawatts of transmission capacity. Generation peaks have exceeded 5,000 megawatts in recent months. The sector continues to face longstanding challenges, including infrastructure more than 40 years old and incidents of vandalism on transmission lines. Debts owed to generation companies and gas suppliers have also constrained operations at times. The recent maintenance at Egbin, which contributes a substantial share of grid power, combined with the damaged Benin-Egbin line, reduced available supply by nearly 800 megawatts in the Lagos corridor. Tegbe has previously noted that some communities now receive up to 18 hours of electricity daily compared with prolonged outages earlier. Some residents have even reported that freezers are running continuously due to improved supply.

The minister has stressed that such outcomes reflect progress rather than a need to slow reforms. The Electricity Act of 2023 has enabled greater state-level participation in power markets. States such as Lagos, Ogun, Abia and Enugu are exploring local generation and bilateral arrangements. Optimising existing assets remains the immediate priority while larger projects advance. The government has also cleared portions of outstanding debts to generation companies to improve liquidity. Nigerians have long sought reliable power to support households, small businesses and industrial growth. Frequent outages have driven high costs for self-generation through generators and alternative sources. Tegbe’s three-to-five-year horizon for stability aims to align with rising national demand. Successful delivery of the super grid and private investment could reduce reliance on load shedding. Monitoring of actual supply hours at the customer level will be key to assessing progress. The ministry continues to coordinate with generation companies, the Transmission Company of Nigeria and distribution companies. Further updates are expected as maintenance cycles and gas deliveries stabilise. The statement offers a measured outlook rather than an immediate transformation. Households and businesses in previously affected areas are now seeing restored supply after the recent interventions. Sustained coordination across the value chain will determine whether the projected timelines are met. Nigerians await the cumulative impact of these infrastructure and reform measures in the coming years.

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