Tegbe: No Plan to Raise Power Tariffs, 300 Containers of Delayed Equipment Released

• Says generation has improved to 5,330MW 

•350,000 meters installed in 100 days, 62 solar projects completed in 30 states 

•Minister targets Lagos, Enugu-P’Harcourt, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridors

Emmanuel Addeh and Aminat Hassan in Abuja

The federal government yesterday ruled out any increase in electricity tariffs, even as the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed that the ministry, working with relevant government agencies, secured the release of more than 300 containers of power equipment that had been delayed at the ports.

Besides, the minister revealed that power generation and transmission had risen above 5,000MW in recent weeks, with generation peaking at 5,330MW in August and September, above the 3,700MW to 4,700MW range hitherto.

Tegbe, who spoke at a media parley in Abuja to mark his first 100 days in office, said the government was focused on stabilising the electricity value chain and improving supply rather than imposing additional financial burdens on consumers.

“Let me categorically state, and this is not a political statement, we have no plan to increase electricity tariffs. This government has no plan to increase tariffs, and I’m saying it in my capacity as the minister of power. Anybody (going) around modifying videos or anything like that to insinuate that we’re planning to increase tariffs, honestly speaking, it’s not true,” he said.

Tegbe highlighted improvements in generation, transmission, metering and electricity access, while acknowledging that many Nigerians continued to contend with unreliable supply and the cost of self-generation.

He said operational records showed that generation and transmission had remained above 5,000MW over the preceding weeks, compared with the 3,700MW to 4,700MW range before June, with generation reaching a peak of 5,330MW during August and September.

“Our next task is to sustain these gains and translate them into more dependable supply at customer level. We are aware that a national peak alone cannot describe the experience of every community,” he said.

According to him, the 375MW Alaoji open-cycle power plant had also been restored to the national grid after three years offline, while interventions at key substations had unlocked additional transmission capacity.

He disclosed that new transformers commissioned at Apapa, Ijora, Alausa and Lekki in Lagos had unlocked 672MW of transmission capacity, while a new 300MVA transformer energised at Katampe, Abuja, had unlocked another 240MW.

“Releasing these equipment makes it available for deployment and helps address the paradox of unfinished projects alongside equipment stranded in storage,” he said.

On metering, the minister said approximately 350,000 meters had been installed within his first 100 days, while cumulative installations reached 1,004,260 as of August 2026.

According to him, the resolution of the AMMON litigation unlocked procurement of about 1.4 million smart meters across the affected programmes, while 90,000 meters had been installed in military formations.

“Metering is central to that discipline and to consumer confidence. These developments advance an existing national effort to replace disputed estimates with measured consumption and improve revenue accountability,” Tegbe said.

He added that 5,000 young Nigerians were undergoing training under the Power Force programme as smart-meter installers, in an effort to develop the manpower required to sustain the national metering drive.

On electricity access beyond the national grid, Tegbe said 62 solar and mini-grid installations had been completed across 30 states, representing about 43.6MW of installed solar capacity and 41,735 new connections, with an estimated beneficiary reach of more than 208,000 people.

He also disclosed that the government had launched the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO) to ensure the long-term sustainability of publicly financed renewable energy assets, saying it would professionally manage the infrastructure and engage operators responsible for metering, billing, collections and maintenance.

Looking ahead, Tegbe said the ministry would deepen grid stabilisation along the Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano transmission corridors, while commencing development of the transmission super grid.

He said technical audits had already commenced along the Lagos and Abuja corridors to identify weak points and guide investments towards interventions with verified system impact.

“Over the next six months, we will endeavour to turn these repairs and reforms into more visible improvements, in fulfilment of our commitment. Our original commitment to visible, incremental improvements remains the benchmark. We will report progress against that benchmark, including changes in supply reliability, billing accuracy and the resolution of faults and complaints,” he said.

The minister also disclosed that Nigeria’s recent engagements with Chinese companies had secured commitments around major power projects, including the 1.9GW Presidential Power Initiative, the $116 million Zungeru evacuation project and a proposed $500 million industrial park for power-equipment manufacturing.

He said the first transmission lines under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) were scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027.

On the Mambilla Hydropower Project, Tegbe said the government had received with “great joy” Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration case and had directed the contractor to explore the most pragmatic approach to delivering the project, including a phased approach if necessary.

He, however, acknowledged that the improvements recorded so far had not translated into reliable electricity for every community, pointing out that many Nigerians continued to face unreliable electricity and the high cost of self-generation.

“Many Nigerians continue to face unreliable electricity and the cost of self-generation. We recognise that hardship. Improvements recorded in some locations have yet to reach many others. We are working to extend the benefits and will report progress against clear service measures,” he said.

In the same vein, the minister reiterated that the government had raised an estimated N1.23 trillion towards settling the backlog of power-sector debt, as part of a bigger programme addressing about N3.3 trillion in sector liabilities.

He said the financial intervention was critical to restoring liquidity across the electricity market, noting that the sector’s problems were interconnected, with unpaid bills affecting gas supply and plant maintenance, while unreliable electricity depressed collections and deepened indebtedness.

“Unpaid bills weaken gas supply and maintenance; unreliable supply depresses collections; poor collections deepen debt. A new power station cannot, by itself, resolve that cycle. Sustainable improvement requires us to repair the physical system and the commercial relationships that keep it functioning,” he stated.

Tegbe said the government’s first three months had therefore focused on diagnosis and stabilisation, including the repair of existing infrastructure, recovery of stranded assets and restoration of discipline across the electricity market.