The Federal Government has ruled out plans to increase electricity tariffs, with the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to providing Nigerians with a reliable, round-the-clock power supply.
Tegbe gave the assurance on Thursday during the groundbreaking ceremony for a 17.7-megawatt interconnected mini-grid project in Ibadan, Oyo State, organised by the Rural Electrification Agency.
Addressing concerns over electricity charges, the minister said the government’s priority was to improve power supply rather than raise tariffs.
“I want to say this clearly and without ambiguity: there is no plan to increase electricity tariffs. What we are planning is a power sector that works around the clock. Our commitment is 24/7 power,” he said.
The minister had similarly stated in July that the Federal Government had no immediate plans to increase electricity tariffs in the country.
Tegbe described the Ibadan mini-grid project as part of the government’s broader efforts to expand electricity availability, improve supply reliability and ensure that investments in the sector create tangible economic benefits for Nigerians.
He explained that the government’s strategy was not limited to building more power infrastructure but also involved ensuring that increased generation capacity met the needs of households, businesses and industries.
“Our objective is clear: to increase the quantum of electricity available to Nigerians, improve the reliability of supply and ensure that electricity becomes an enabler of productivity, investment and economic growth,” he said.
He added, “Projects such as this demonstrate how we are translating that commitment into infrastructure that directly serves communities and productive economic clusters.”
According to Tegbe, the government is pursuing this approach alongside other ongoing interventions aimed at improving electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure nationwide.
He said the various efforts were intended to strengthen the power sector and make electricity more dependable for consumers and businesses.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, said the agency was placing greater emphasis on deploying electricity generation capacity in locations where it could produce significant economic benefits.
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Aliyu noted that the agency was also working to attract private-sector investment and promote sustainable operating models for its projects.
“This groundbreaking is about more than 17.7 megawatts of new generation capacity. It is about what that capacity will enable,” he said.
He explained that dependable electricity could help businesses extend their operating hours, reduce the cost of relying on alternative power sources and improve productivity.
“Reliable electricity means longer operating hours for businesses, lower dependence on expensive self-generation, increased productivity, new investment and ultimately more jobs and economic opportunities,” Aliyu said.
The REA managing director added that the Ibadan project formed part of a wider pipeline of investments being facilitated by the agency.
He said the projects were intended to demonstrate how distributed energy solutions could contribute not only to expanding electricity access but also to improving supply reliability and supporting economic development.
Aliyu noted that the agency’s approach reflected the growing role of distributed energy systems in meeting electricity needs across different communities and economic centres.
He said, “we are demonstrating that distributed energy can move beyond addressing electricity access alone to becoming an important pillar of electricity reliability and economic development”.