Nigeria’s Power Sector: Lack of coordination slows reliable electricity supply – Tegbe

Nigeria's Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, highlighted on Monday that insufficient coordination within the country's power sector has hindered the timely delivery of reliable electricity to citizens. At the inauguration of the Off-Grid Stakeholder Coordination event in Abuja, Tegbe emphasized that the lack of unity within the industry exacerbates issues such as duplicated efforts, missed investment opportunities, and delayed power supply to those in dire need.

Represented by Chief of Staff Adelabu, Tegbe stressed that fragmentation within the power sector acts as a "quiet tax" - a hidden cost borne by all under-coordinated sectors. This includes the replication of work, the failure to capitalize on investment prospects, and the sluggish provision of electricity to those most in need. In response to these challenges, Abba Aliyu, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, called for the establishment of a centralized platform to streamline operations and resource allocation in the rapidly growing off-grid energy sector.

Aliyu stressed that as Nigeria's off-grid energy industry expands, there is a pressing need for an Off-Grid Sector Coordination Secretariat. This proposed secretariat would serve as a structured framework to ensure alignment among government bodies, development partners, private sector operators, and other stakeholders.