Joseph Tegbe, minister-designate for power, says Nigerians will begin to see clear improvements in the electricity sector within three months if he is sworn in.
Tegbe spoke on Wednesday during his screening at the Senate. The upper legislative chamber later confirmed him as minister of power.
His nomination followed the resignation of Adebayo Adelabu, former power minister, who left office to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo state.
Responding to questions from senators on the recurring collapse of the national grid, Tegbe said he would adopt a “disciplined approach” to addressing the challenges in the sector.
“I’ll come and present to you what our plan is, with clear milestones,” he said.
“If you don’t see this in three months, it means you won’t see it in six months. So you must see it in three months, and you must also hold me accountable for it.”
Tegbe said his immediate priority would be to stop the “bleeding” in the sector, stabilise the grid, and address liquidity problems affecting operators.
He said the sector currently carries an estimated debt of about N6 trillion, adding that the federal government had already made efforts to convert part of the liability into bonds.
The minister-designate also spoke on the need for market-reflective tariffs, but said the industry must be mature enough before such reforms are fully implemented because electricity is an essential service.
He added that the government would continue efforts to close the metering gap, noting that about one million meters were rolled out across the country last year.
