Senate Confirms Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power, Charges Him with 100-Day Reforms and Transparency Dashboard

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Mr. Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power, charging him to immediately confront Nigeria’s deepening electricity crisis, particularly the persistent collapse of the national grid, liquidity constraints and weak transmission infrastructure.

The confirmation followed a rigorous screening at plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, during which lawmakers extracted firm commitments from the nominee on timelines, transparency and concrete reforms aimed at stabilising the power sector.

Senators across party lines stressed that the time for rhetoric had passed, insisting on measurable outcomes to reverse years of inefficiency in the sector.

Senators Highlight Key Challenges

Leading the debate, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North) described Tegbe’s nomination as “a square peg in a square hole,” but warned of the enormity of challenges, including recurring grid collapses impeding industrialisation.

“Grid collapse has become a recurring decimal, affecting our quest for development. Transmission has also failed to effectively evacuate power generated by GENCOS,”

Monguno noted insurgent attacks in the North-east had crippled transmission infrastructure, forcing Maiduguri to rely on alternative power sources.

Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro (Benue South) raised the sector’s N6 trillion liquidity crisis, which has discouraged investment. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) criticised fragmentation of generation, transmission and distribution, arguing it created inefficiencies. Senator Ekong Samson (Akwa Ibom South) highlighted that over 70 per cent of rural dwellers lacked electricity access. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin described the power sector as the biggest constraint to economic competitiveness.

Tegbe's Commitments and Responses

Tegbe acknowledged systemic challenges, including poor coordination, weak enforcement of standards and inadequate gas supply.

“Grid collapse is not an accident; it is a symptom of a system problem,”

He pledged to enforce strict operational discipline, improve frequency management, and deliver visible improvements within 100 days, including stabilising the grid and a public performance dashboard.

“If you don’t see results in three months, you won’t see them in six months. Nigerians must hold us accountable,”

Tegbe identified a “generator cabal” profiting from inefficiencies and pledged to confront such interests. On vandalism, described as a national security threat, he committed to collaboration with the National Security Adviser and service chiefs.

Addressing liquidity, Tegbe said the financial model was unsustainable and pledged market-reflective tariffs while protecting vulnerable consumers.

“Market-reflective tariffs are necessary, but electricity must remain affordable. We will strike a balance between sustainability and social protection,”

He promised coordination across the value chain, emphasis on gas supply to GENCOS, accelerated nationwide metering,building on one million meters rolled out last year,and scaling mini-grids and renewables like solar for rural electrification.

“Decentralised energy solutions will play a key role in ensuring that no community is left behind,”

In closing, Tegbe reiterated commitment to discipline, transparency and collaboration for tangible results.

Despite tough scrutiny, lawmakers expressed confidence in Tegbe’s competence and vision, confirming his nomination unanimously.