Tinubu Gov’t Promises 24-Hour Electricity Supply, Say No Plan To Tariff Hike

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has urged Nigerians not to panic over a purported plan to increase electricity tariffs.

He insists that the Federal Government is more concerned about improving power supply across the country.

Tegbe gave the assurance in Ibadan, Oyo State, during the groundbreaking ceremony for five mini-grid projects designed to provide electricity to communities in the state, Naija News reports.

The projects have a combined power capacity of 17.7 megawatts and will also include a battery storage system capable of storing 17.74 megawatt-hours of electricity.

The communities expected to benefit are Bola, Jiboye, Molade-Adelubi, Ogo Oluwa and Sooko-Elega. They are located across Akinyele, Ido, Ibadan North, Egbeda and Lagelu Local Government Areas.

Speaking at the event, the minister urged Nigerians to ignore reports of a planned electricity tariff increase, saying the government was working towards providing a steady power supply.

“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.

Tegbe said the government was working on plans to improve electricity supply in different parts of the country.

He listed the Lagos-Ogun corridor, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor and Benin-Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor among the areas covered by the government’s energy plans.

According to him, efforts are also being made to strengthen the national grid and improve the systems used to generate and transmit electricity across the country.

The minister said the new mini-grid projects would help communities get better access to electricity and reduce their dependence on petrol and diesel generators.

He added that a more reliable power supply would help businesses run more smoothly, attract investors and create jobs.

Tegbe described the projects as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that similar electricity projects had been carried out in other states with support from the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

He praised Tinubu for his leadership and commended the REA, Paras Energy and Natural Resources Development Limited, the World Bank and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company for their roles in the initiative.

The minister also thanked the Oyo State Government, traditional rulers and community leaders for supporting the projects.

He said their continued cooperation would be important to completing the work and ensuring that the communities benefit from the projects over time.