There is a particular exhaustion that comes with being Nigerian. It is the exhaustion of repeatedly listening to promises that sound convincing in press conferences but collapse under the weight of reality. Nigerians have become used to public officials standing before cameras, speaking the language of reform, pledging transformation, and assuring citizens that relief is finally near. In the power sector especially, such promises have become almost ritualistic.
Recently, the Senate confirmed Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Nigeria’s new Minister of Power. Shortly after, he declared that he would stabilise the national grid within 100 days. He reportedly argued that if the grid cannot be fixed within three months, then six months would not make any difference. It was a bold statement, the kind Nigerians desperately want to believe. But it also immediately reopened memories of the promises made by his predecessor, Adebayo Adelabu, whose tenure ended without solving the crisis that continues to cripple homes, industries, and national productivity.
When Adelabu assumed office in August 2023, the power sector was already under severe strain. Nigeria’s installed generation capacity stood at about 13 gigawatts, but transmission weaknesses meant that actual wheeled power rarely exceeded 4,500 to 5,000 megawatts. Meanwhile, national electricity demand hovered around 20 gigawatts. The gap between supply and demand was not merely technical. It reflected decades of policy inconsistency, corruption, weak infrastructure, and institutional inefficiency.
Throughout Adelabu’s tenure, grid collapses remained alarmingly frequent. Between 2023 and early 2026, Nigeria experienced multiple partial and total system failures. One of the most embarrassing incidents occurred in September 2024 when the national grid collapsed again, forcing the minister to publicly apologise and promise urgent reforms. Yet by the first quarter of 2025, available generation capacity remained stuck at roughly 5,400 megawatts, according to figures from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
For ordinary Nigerians, these numbers translated into darkness, rising costs, and declining confidence in government. Small businesses struggled to survive. Manufacturers spent billions on diesel and alternative energy. Hospitals battled unstable electricity. Students studied with generators roaring in the background. Entire communities remained trapped in energy poverty despite repeated assurances from government officials.
The economic implications have been devastating. Several studies estimate that poor electricity supply reduces Nigeria’s GDP by between 5 and 7 percent annually. For an economy valued at roughly $400 billion, that represents losses of up to $28 billion every year. In practical terms, Nigeria loses more to power failure than it spends on several critical sectors combined.
One of the clearest signs of the collapse of public confidence in the national grid is the growing dependence on self-generated power by major companies. The Dangote Group alone reportedly generates more than 1,500 megawatts of captive electricity for its operations, an amount that rivals a significant portion of the national grid itself. Other major firms including BUA Group and Flour Mills of Nigeria have made similar investments in independent power systems because relying on the national grid has become economically dangerous.
This trend represents a national tragedy. Capital that should be invested in expansion, innovation, and job creation is instead diverted into diesel plants, gas turbines, and solar backups. The cost of doing business in Nigeria continues to rise, making local industries less competitive compared to neighbouring African economies.
Under Adelabu’s leadership, electricity tariffs also increased sharply. In April 2024, Band A customers experienced substantial tariff hikes after regulatory adjustments approved by NERC. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, electricity costs for some industrial and commercial users rose by over 240 percent between 2023 and 2025. Yet for many consumers, supply remained inconsistent or even deteriorated further.
Manufacturers felt the impact severely. A 2025 survey by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria revealed that nearly 70 percent of manufacturers depended on self-generated electricity for most of their operations. Energy costs became one of the biggest threats to industrial survival. Across industrial hubs such as Aba, Nnewi, and parts of Ogun State, several small and medium-scale businesses shut down under the pressure of soaring operating expenses.
The crisis also exposed deeper structural problems within the sector. Although Adelabu was not personally convicted of wrongdoing, concerns about transparency and procurement practices persisted throughout his tenure. Civil society organisations repeatedly questioned the cost and execution of power-related contracts, including smart meter procurement and transmission rehabilitation projects. The broader power sector already carried the stain of corruption scandals, including the conviction of former Power Minister Saleh Mamman over a multi-billion naira fraud case involving rural electrification contracts.
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Perhaps the greatest disappointment during Adelabu’s time in office was the slow implementation of the Electricity Act 2023. The legislation was widely celebrated because it aimed to decentralise electricity regulation and empower states and private investors to participate more actively in generation and distribution. However, progress remained sluggish. By May 2026, only a handful of states had passed their own electricity laws, while many distribution companies continued to struggle with huge financial losses and poor infrastructure.
Critical gas projects that were expected to improve generation capacity also suffered delays. The OB3 gas pipeline, designed to strengthen gas supply to power plants, remained incomplete years after its initial timeline. Meanwhile, transmission infrastructure continued to operate below modern standards, limiting the country’s ability to move generated power efficiently across regions.
Joseph Tegbe now inherits this troubled system. His 100-day pledge will undoubtedly attract public attention, but stabilising Nigeria’s power sector requires far more than ambitious declarations. The problems are deeply structural. They involve weak transmission infrastructure, gas supply shortages, mounting debts, vandalism, poor metering systems, regulatory uncertainty, and decades of institutional failure.
Tegbe has also promised to enforce payment discipline among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government, many of which reportedly owe electricity distribution companies more than N200 billion. Addressing those debts may improve liquidity within the sector, but it will not automatically fix generation and transmission challenges.
The truth is that Nigeria’s electricity crisis has moved beyond personalities. Ministers come and go, but the structural failures remain stubbornly intact. Genuine reform will require transparent procurement systems, aggressive investment in infrastructure, decentralised power generation, stronger regulatory enforcement, and full implementation of existing electricity laws. It will also require political courage to confront vested interests that continue to profit from dysfunction within the sector.
Nigeria cannot industrialise in darkness. No country hoping to compete globally can build factories, digital economies, healthcare systems, or modern transportation networks on unstable electricity. Reliable power is not merely an economic issue. It is the foundation upon which national development rests.
That is why Tegbe’s appointment carries enormous expectations. Nigerians have heard promises before. What they now demand are measurable results. The era of ceremonial optimism is fading. Citizens want light that stays on, businesses that survive, and a power sector that finally works for the people rather than against them.
Whether Tegbe succeeds where Adelabu struggled will depend not on rhetoric, but on his willingness to confront the structural failures that have held Nigeria hostage for decades.
Moshood Oshunfurewa writes from Lagos and be reached his email:
moshoodho2025@gmail.com