Nigeria continues to grapple with a deep-rooted electricity crisis as less than half of the country’s more than 13,000 megawatts (MW) of installed generation capacity reliably reaches homes and businesses, Joseph Tegbe, the Minister of Power, has said.
Speaking at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Renewable Energy Outlook Conference 2026 in Lagos, the minister acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing Africa’s largest economy, warning that inadequate power supply remains a major drag on industrial growth and competitiveness.
“Nigeria’s power sector has, for too long, been a paradox of remarkable natural endowment and underwhelming performance,” Tegbe said. Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation possesses installed generation capacity of over 13,000 megawatts. Yet as of today, less than half of that reliably reaches consumers.”
The admission comes despite years of reforms, billions of dollars in investments, and repeated government promises to improve the electricity supply. For businesses, the consequences have been severe.
According to the minister, manufacturers continue to spend a substantial portion of their operating costs on self-generated electricity, relying heavily on diesel and petrol generators to keep factories and offices running.
