The Minister-designate for Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has refuted reports suggesting he pledged to resolve Nigeria’s power grid challenges within three months, describing the claim as a distortion of comments made during his Senate screening.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday through his spokesperson, Adeola Adelabu, Tegbe clarified that he did not give any specific three-month deadline for fixing the country’s electricity problems.
According to the statement, the reports circulating in sections of the media misrepresented his remarks before the Senate on May 6, 2026.
“Our attention has been drawn to inaccurate media reports alleging that the Honourable Minister-designate, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, promised to fix Nigeria’s power grid within three months. This claim is a clear misrepresentation of his remarks,” the statement read.
The clarification noted that Tegbe explained during the screening that timelines for major reforms in the power sector were still under review and would depend on technical assessments and consultations with key stakeholders.
While the minister-designate indicated that efforts to stabilise the national grid would commence within his first 100 days in office, he stressed that deeper structural reforms across the sector could take up to one year to achieve meaningful results.
The statement added that the proposed reforms would address critical issues such as sector credibility, gas supply, electricity metering and infrastructure modernisation.
“My promise to this chamber is that Nigerians will see visible improvement in the sector,” Tegbe reportedly told lawmakers during the screening session.
He also vowed to improve commercial frameworks within the industry, strengthen accountability across the electricity value chain and modernise power infrastructure nationwide.
On the issue of electricity tariffs, Tegbe assured senators that ongoing reforms would protect vulnerable Nigerians while ensuring sustainability, efficiency and investor confidence in the sector.
The statement further emphasised that the minister-designate remains open to constructive engagement with the media and welcomed requests for clarification to ensure accurate reporting of reforms planned for the power sector.
President Bola Tinubu recently nominated Tegbe as Minister of Power following a cabinet reshuffle that led to the exit of Adebayo Adelabu from the ministry.
