President Bola Tinubu has yet to fully resolve Nigeria’s electricity challenges, but his administration remains committed to fulfilling its campaign promise of providing a stable and reliable power supply, according to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.
Dele Alake, the council’s spokesperson, acknowledged that fixing the country’s power sector remained unfinished three years after Tinubu assumed office. Alake defended the administration’s record, stating that the President had taken consistent steps to address the structural, institutional, and financial challenges that have hindered the sector for more than five decades.
In a statement issued on Sunday titled ‘Tinubu’s Electricity Pledge Considered in Full Context’, Alake urged Nigerians to assess the President’s 2023 campaign promise alongside subsequent interventions and the concluding qualification attached to the pledge. During a meeting with the Organised Private Sector in Lagos ahead of the 2023 general elections, Tinubu promised to end estimated billing and ensure stable electricity supply.
“Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept,” Tinubu stated at the time. He added that voters should not re-elect him if he failed to fulfil the commitment without providing adequate reasons for the shortfall.
Alake noted that some recent commentaries reproduced the President’s pledge without the concluding qualification, arguing that a fair assessment must consider the full statement and performance since 2023. On June 9, less than two weeks after assuming office, Tinubu signed the Electricity Act 2023, enabling state governments to participate in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.
Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna, and Niger states have begun leveraging the legislation by establishing regulatory agencies and attracting private investment to their power sectors. Furthermore, the administration inherited more than N6tn in accumulated legacy debts between 2015 and 2025 and introduced measures to manage the financial burden.
The government established a N4tn bond programme to settle verified liabilities owed to 21 electricity generation companies and gas suppliers. The first and second tranches of this programme have raised more than N1.2tn to clear part of the verified debts. Additionally, the Presidential Metering Initiative has supplied meters to more than 1.5 million customers over the past three years.
To improve market liquidity, the administration adjusted electricity tariffs towards cost-reflective levels while introducing service bands and protective measures for low-income households. Infrastructure investments include expanding substations and grid capacity, modernising the 60-year-old Osogbo Grid Control Centre, and constructing an East-West super grid. The Rural Electrification Agency has also connected universities, hospitals, and rural communities to solar power.
Regarding the Presidential Power Initiative initiated under late President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu reviewed the agreement and signed an acceleration pact with German partners in December 2023 to expedite transmission network projects. The Federal Executive Council approved contracts in December 2024 for the first batch of five Transmission Company of Nigeria substations in key load centres, which are nearing completion ahead of the administration’s first term.
An additional batch of projects was approved in June 2026 for the construction of eight new substations and the upgrade of four existing facilities. Alake emphasised that electricity infrastructure projects require long-lead equipment and cannot be completed overnight. Private generation companies, such as Geregu Power Plc, have similarly invested in new power transformers to enhance operations at the Geregu 1 Power Plant.
Balancing commercial viability with affordability remains a priority as the government continues to explore measures to enhance sector sustainability. “Fixing the electricity market and power sector is ongoing work,” Alake concluded, adding that the President will present his scorecard and address outstanding issues as he seeks a second term.
Athekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.
