Government Promises Electricity Boost as Mini Grid Expansion Targets Underserved Communities

(Joseph Tegbe. Photo by Guardian Nigeria News)

Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe has assured Nigerians that electricity supply will improve before the end of 2026, as the Federal Government works to rehabilitate the national grid and expand off-grid renewable energy projects aimed at closing the country's energy access gap.

Tegbe gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja during the media launch of the Africa Mini-Grid Programme Nigeria Pilot Project, a collaboration between the Rural Electrification Agency, the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility.

The programme has so far delivered 23 mini-grids across underserved communities in 15 states, providing electricity to about 20,000 households and more than 50,000 people while supporting agriculture and other productive activities.

Speaking at the event, the minister said the Tinubu administration remains committed to improving power supply despite decades of underinvestment in the sector, stating firmly that Nigerians would see a significant improvement in electricity delivery before the year runs out.

He acknowledged, however, that the country's electricity challenges cannot be resolved overnight, noting that problems accumulated over fifty years of poor management cannot be fixed within six months.

He said efforts were underway to repair infrastructure, strengthen the main grid, build off-grid assets where necessary, and improve the overall resilience of the electricity network, stressing that the ultimate goal remains ensuring Nigerians have access to power.

Tegbe described renewable energy as a core part of Nigeria's power architecture and announced plans to expand the initiative further with 50 additional mini-grids, which would extend electricity access to another 50,000 households.