Power Minister Joseph Tegbe has set out a plan to steady Nigeria’s electricity grid, increase transmission capacity and draw new capital into the power industry.
Speaking at the opening of the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit 2026 at the Landmark Centre in Lagos, held under the theme “Strengthening Power Delivery Through Execution, Coordination and Performance,” Tegbe said the sector must move beyond policy design towards demonstrable gains in supply, network performance and market viability.
He identified four core areas for action: developing energy zones, improving liquidity and long-term sustainability in the sector, making better use of existing assets, and building additional infrastructure for rising future demand. The approach is intended to tackle bottlenecks in generation, transmission and distribution, so that spending produces more dependable electricity for homes, commercial users and industrial customers.
The minister cited inadequate gas availability, heavily burdened transmission networks, losses within distribution systems and longstanding industry debts as key issues that need a coordinated response.
To strengthen power delivery, Tegbe named three economic energy corridors as immediate priorities: Lagos–Ogun; Benin–Enugu–Port Harcourt; and Abuja–Kaduna–Kano. The programme aims to match generation capacity, transmission facilities, distribution preparedness and clearly identified demand, improving electricity supply while raising industrial output.
He also pointed to measures intended to cut both technical and commercial losses, including continued rollout of the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DSRP) and the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF).
The government is addressing inherited liabilities in the electricity industry, Tegbe said, having paid ₦1.23 trillion of the estimated ₦3.3 trillion outstanding. It is also seeking to close financial loopholes so that further debts do not build up.
He further stressed the importance of extracting greater value from current power assets while extending infrastructure to serve projected demand growth.
Tegbe said the reforms, which support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, must result in visible economic outcomes through stronger industrial production, business expansion, investment inflows and employment creation.
The Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit and Exhibition 2026 runs from October 27 to 29 and brings together energy firms, technology suppliers and other industry participants to present solutions and consider investment prospects across electricity and the broader energy value chain.
