Power Minister Urges Investors To Prioritise Gas Supply, Plant Rehabilitation
By Sherif Salau
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has identified consistent gas supply as a major requirement for improving electricity generation in Nigeria, urging investors to focus on rehabilitating existing power plants and eliminating bottlenecks across the electricity value chain.
Tegbe made the call at the 2026 Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) Energy Conference in Lagos, where he emphasised that the country must address persistent gas supply challenges to maximise the capacity of its existing generation facilities and deliver more reliable electricity to consumers.
The minister noted that having installed generation capacity would not automatically translate into increased electricity supply without adequate gas to power the plants. He therefore called for stronger collaboration among gas producers, power generators and industrial consumers to establish sustainable gas-to-power arrangements.
He also urged private investors to explore opportunities across the electricity sector, identifying the rehabilitation of existing power plants, expansion of distribution infrastructure and development of alternative energy solutions as areas requiring increased investment.
According to Tegbe, investors can unlock opportunities by restoring the operational capacity of existing plants, securing dependable gas supplies and developing power solutions for industrial estates, ports and agro-processing centres with reliable arrangements for purchasing the electricity generated.
He further highlighted the need to modernise distribution networks through investments in feeders, transformers, substations and meters, noting that improvements across the value chain are necessary to ensure that generated electricity reaches consumers efficiently.
The minister also encouraged the development of distributed energy systems to support productive activities, including irrigation, cold storage and small-scale manufacturing, particularly in areas where dependable electricity is essential for economic growth.
On efforts to improve accountability in the power sector, Tegbe disclosed that approximately 350,000 meters had been deployed in the preceding three months.
He said improved metering would enable consumers to pay for their actual electricity consumption rather than estimated bills, while helping to reduce technical, commercial and collection losses across the sector.
Tegbe also stressed the importance of monitoring gas supplied to generation plants, electricity transmitted through the grid and payments made within the electricity market to strengthen accountability and improve operational efficiency.
He maintained that closer coordination among stakeholders, alongside investments in existing infrastructure and dependable gas supply, would be necessary to improve electricity delivery to households, businesses and industries.
The minister’s remarks placed gas availability and infrastructure rehabilitation at the centre of efforts to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges, while highlighting the role of private capital in strengthening generation, distribution and access to power.
