Nigerians now begging me to slow down because freezers are freezing due to constant power supply – Minister Tegbe

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has said some electricity consumers have jokingly asked him to slow down efforts to improve power supply, saying they were now experiencing electricity for longer hours and their freezers were “freezing.”

Tegbe made the remark on Wednesday while speaking at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.

The minister said recent interventions by the Federal Government had resulted in improved electricity supply in some parts of the country, including areas that previously experienced prolonged outages.

“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours of light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing,” he said.

Tegbe, however, responded humorously: “That is what a freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen.”

The minister recalled that during his Senate screening, he had assured Nigerians that improvements in electricity supply would become noticeable within three to six months.

He acknowledged that the power sector still faced significant infrastructure challenges, noting that some electricity facilities across the country were more than four decades old.

“Some of the infrastructure we have in the electricity and power sector are more than 40 years old. We’re systematically replacing them, phasing them out and bringing new ones,” Tegbe said.

Minister Raises Alarm Over Power Infrastructure Vandalism

Tegbe also raised concerns over the continued vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure, revealing that three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi had recently been brought down by vandals.

According to the minister, the affected towers formed part of the infrastructure supplying electricity to Kebbi State and extending towards the Niger Republic.

He said the vandals attacked the foundations of the towers before pulling them down and cutting parts of the structures for sale in the scrap market.

“You will not believe how many towers get pulled down by vandals,” he said.

Tegbe disclosed that the Federal Government had established a joint working committee involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to monitor and protect national electricity assets.

He said the government was also working towards ensuring that vandalism of critical power infrastructure was treated as a serious criminal offence.

58,726 Students to Benefit From Solar Project

Speaking on the solar project at Yakubu Gowon University, Tegbe said the facility combines a 3.3-megawatt solar array with 3MW AC output capacity and battery storage.

He said the project was designed to provide reliable electricity to critical facilities across the university, including lecture halls, laboratories, information and communication technology facilities, administrative buildings and campus lighting.

According to him, more than 58,726 students are expected to benefit from the project.

The facility has 6,078 photovoltaic panels and 388 streetlights installed across the university campus.

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the project as a significant milestone under the agency’s Energising Education Programme.

The Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, also said reliable electricity was essential to the institution’s academic activities.

He noted that dependable power supply would support teaching, research, laboratory activities, information technology and other critical operations of the university.

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