Electricity consumers may have received a reprieve as the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, on Saturday assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is not considering an increase in electricity tariffs for now, saying its immediate focus is on improving power supply, strengthening the national grid and restoring confidence in the sector.

Speaking during a media interaction in Lagos, Tegbe said the government’s priority is to make electricity more available and reliable rather than impose additional financial burdens on consumers.

“Our priority is not tariff increase in the immediate term,” he said. “Our objective is clear: to make electricity more available, make the grid more reliable, make the market financially sustainable and restore investor confidence. We want to ensure that electricity becomes a catalyst for national productivity rather than a constraint to economic growth.”

The minister added that the government would continue to explore measures to protect vulnerable electricity consumers while improving the financial sustainability of the power market.

“Indeed, the Federal Government will continue to examine additional mechanisms for protecting vulnerable consumers whilst simultaneously improving the financial sustainability of the market,” he said.

Tegbe, who assumed office about 50 days ago, also outlined his administration’s roadmap for overhauling the country’s electricity infrastructure, beginning with a comprehensive technical audit of the national transmission network.

“Our first priority is the comprehensive technical audit of the transmission segment of our electricity network,” he said.

“One cannot effectively rebuild what one has not properly diagnosed. The audit will identify ageing assets, overloaded substations, weak transmission corridors, protection failures, system bottlenecks and operational vulnerabilities.”

According to him, the exercise will provide the evidence needed to prioritise investments, reduce system failures, improve planning and ensure value for money in future spending.

He further announced that the Federal Government would immediately begin strategic investments in three major transmission corridors: the Lagos Corridor, the Enugu–Port Harcourt Corridor, and the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Corridor.

“A stable grid is the foundation of reliable electricity,” Tegbe said. “Within the next two to three years, Nigerians should experience a stronger grid, reduced technical losses, improved market discipline, greater investor confidence, expanded electricity access and significantly higher operational capacity.”

The minister said the planned reforms are aimed at delivering a more resilient electricity network capable of supporting economic growth and meeting the country’s rising energy demand.