…Says; generation has hit 5,330MW
The Federal Government on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, declared that there would be no increase whatsoever in electricity tariffs.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, who stated the position of the government at a media parley in Abuja to mark his first 100 days in office, categorically said that the position of is not a political statement, stressing that; “we have no plan to increase electricity tariffs”.
This was as Tegbe announced that power generation has climbed to a peak of 5,330 megawatts (MW) in August and September, up from between 3,700MW and 4,700MW before June.
Minister of Power said the government was focused instead on stabilising the electricity value chain, restoring financial discipline and strengthening governance across the sector.
The minister said the government had mobilised an estimated ₦1.23 trillion towards settling the backlog of power-sector debt, as part of a wider effort to address the sector’s estimated ₦3.3 trillion debt burden.
Tegbe further said that the financing was expected to improve liquidity in the electricity market and strengthen the capacity of operators to sustain generation and supply.
He also announced the return of the 375MW Alaoji open-cycle power plant to the national grid after three years offline, adding that the newly commissioned transformers at Apapa, Ijora, Alausa and Lekki in Lagos had unlocked 672MW of transmission capacity, while a new 300MVA transformer at Katampe, Abuja, had unlocked another 240MW.
Tegbe said the government had also worked with relevant agencies to release more than 300 containers of critical power equipment held at the ports, describing the situation as one of the sector’s peculiar paradoxes: unfinished electricity projects existing alongside equipment stranded in storage.
On metering, the Minister of Power said about 350,000 meters had been installed during his first 100 days, bringing cumulative installations to 1,004,260 as of August 2026.
Tegbe said the resolution of the AMMON litigation had further unlocked the procurement of about 1.4 million smart meters, adding that another 90,000 meters have been installed in military formations, while 5,000 young Nigerians were being trained under the Power Force programme as smart-meter installers.
He however, acknowledged that improvements in national generation figures did not necessarily mean that every Nigerian was experiencing better electricity supply.
In the words of Tegbe; “National progress can coexist with an unreliable feeder in a particular community. The ministry’s challenge is to ensure that improvements recorded in some locations are extended to communities across the country”.
While commenting on renewables, grid stabilization, the minister said 62 solar and mini-grid installations had been completed across 30 states, representing about 43.6MW of installed solar capacity, 41,735 new connections and an estimated beneficiary reach of more than 208,000 people.
Tegbe cited the recently commissioned 3MW solar hybrid system at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, as part of efforts to provide more dependable electricity to educational institutions.
He also announced the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company, which he said would professionally manage publicly financed renewable-energy assets and seek to raise ₦3 trillion over the coming years.
Looking ahead, Tegbe said the next six months would be devoted to converting the repairs and reforms undertaken during his first 100 days into more visible improvements in electricity supply.
The minister specifically identified the Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano transmission corridors as priorities for grid stabilisation.
Tegbe pledged greater transparency through the use of performance indicators and scorecards, publication of project costs and operator performance, accelerated universal metering, and stronger action against vandalism and electricity theft.
He said; “It’s been 100 days on this assignment. This is not to say that we have reached our destination, not at all. But we have made modest progress”.
Tegbe urged the media to maintain scrutiny of the power sector while calling on communities to help protect electricity infrastructure, saying; “electricity reform serves every Nigerian, whatever their political affiliation or place of residence”.
