Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has outlined key steps taken in his first 100 days in office aimed at stabilising the national grid and expanding metering. Speaking at a press briefing to mark the milestone, the minister pointed to infrastructure repairs, unlocked transmission capacity and the installation of more than 350,000 electricity meters as early results.
Tegbe, who assumed office in June 2026, said the initial period was largely spent diagnosing long-standing problems in the power sector and beginning practical interventions. One of the most notable moves was the restoration of the 375-megawatt Alaoji power plant in Abia State. The plant had been offline for about three years due to gas-supply and metering disputes. Its return adds meaningful generation capacity to the national grid.
On the transmission side, interventions in Lagos, Abuja and other locations unlocked additional capacity. Officials cited new transformers at locations including Apapa, Ijora, Alausa, Lekki and Katampe as contributing to hundreds of megawatts of previously constrained power now available for distribution.
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Metering remains a central focus. More than 350,000 meters have been installed in the first 100 days, bringing cumulative installations to over one million by August 2026. The minister linked the acceleration to the resolution of legal issues involving the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON), which had delayed procurement.
He also noted that programmes are underway to meter military formations and train thousands of young Nigerians as smart-meter installers under the Power Force initiative.
Tegbe acknowledged that many households and businesses still experience unreliable supply and may not yet feel the impact of these early measures. He stressed that the government is not promising an overnight transformation, emphasising that lasting improvement in Nigeria’s power sector requires sustained effort rather than quick fixes.
On tariffs, the minister stated there is currently no plan to increase electricity rates. Priority areas remain grid stability, more reliable supply, accurate billing and faster resolution of customer complaints. He added that the ministry would continue reforms without taking shortcuts while recognising that significant work is still required.
Why these steps matter
Accurate metering reduces estimated billing disputes and improves revenue collection for the sector. Restoring idle plants and unlocking transmission bottlenecks help push more electricity to the distribution companies. However, Nigeria’s power challenges are structural — gas supply constraints, ageing infrastructure, distribution losses and the need for deeper commercialisation remain. Early gains in generation and metering are positive signals, but translating them into consistent hours of supply at household and business level will take longer.
The coming months will show whether these first-100-day actions can be sustained and scaled. For now, the ministry’s message is one of measured progress rather than dramatic claims.
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