Meet The New Minister Of Power, Joseph Tegbe, As He Promises To End Grid Collapse In 100 Days

The newly appointed minister of power, Joseph Tegbe, has promised to end grid collapse in 100 days.

NewsRain Nigeria reports that Ministerial nominee for Power, Joseph Tegbe, on Wednesday stunned lawmakers with a firm commitment to stabilise Nigeria’s fragile electricity grid within his first 100 days in office if confirmed, setting the tone for what may become one of the most pressured reform agendas in the administration.

“If you don’t see this in three months, it means you won’t see it in six months. You must see results in the first 100 days, and you must hold us accountable,” Tegbe told the Senate during his screening.

His pledge immediately reframed the session from routine confirmation to a high-stakes accountability exchange, as senators pressed him on whether Nigeria’s long-standing power crisis can realistically be reversed within such a short timeline.

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Tegbe said his immediate focus would be the stabilisation of the national grid, the enforcement of discipline across the electricity value chain, and the aggressive reduction of systemic leakages that have crippled sector performance for years.

“The first phase in the 100 days is to stabilise the grid… we need to enforce strict codes against indiscipline and ensure a disciplined system across the sector,” he said.

He also stressed that the power sector cannot be reformed without addressing structural inefficiencies, governance gaps, and financial stress that have accumulated over decades.

According to him, Nigeria’s electricity industry is weighed down by an estimated ₦6 trillion debt burden, a situation he said has constrained investments and weakened operational stability.

“Government has done very well… we even settled ₦3.3 trillion through bonds, but the sector is still under pressure,” he said.

However, it was the Senate’s intervention that defined the tone of the screening, as lawmakers urged Tegbe to confront what they described as entrenched interests benefiting from Nigeria’s chronic darkness.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, warned that a powerful ecosystem had developed around electricity failure, particularly the booming generator import and sales market.

“There is a cabal you must confront, both within the system and outside it. Those importing generators are thriving because power is not stable,” Abaribe said.

He argued that Nigeria’s dependence on self-generation has created a parallel energy economy that now indirectly competes with national grid reform efforts, warning that such interests may resist any serious attempt at stabilisation.

The new minister is now tasked with confronting entrenched interests in the power sector, stabilising the national grid within 100 days, addressing Nigeria’s multi-trillion-naira sector debt, and restoring confidence in a system long defined by instability.

For a sector often described as Nigeria’s most persistent development bottleneck, Tegbe’s 100-day promise sets up an early test of ambition versus entrenched reality.

Below are a few things to know about the new minister of power;

• Tegbe was born on March 21, 1966, to the family of Pa Joseph Adejinmi Tegbe of Labo, Ibadan, and Mrs Rhoda Olubunmi Tegbe (nee Ibikunle) of the Akogun Ibukunle family in Orile-Owu.
• Tegbe is of Ibadan ancestral descent from the Jegede compound in Labo, Ibadan.
• He is a first cousin of friend Professor Babatunde Tegbe, who retired from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
• The Tegbes have their village of origin as Akiode via Olorunda in the Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, and they belong to the St. David’s Cathedral Church, Kudeti, Ibadan.
• Tegbe is a 1988 first-class graduate in civil engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University.
• He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
• He had his early education in St Mary’s RCM School, Oyo.
• After his education at Federal Government College, Ogbomosho, and Obafemi Awolowo University, he gained about 35 years of experience in business strategy.
• He is also an alumnus of Lagos Business School, Nigeria; INSEAD, France; Harvard Kennedy School of Government; and Harvard Business School. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA); Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (FCIT), and Certified in Governance Enterprise IT (CGEIT).
• He is a Christian of Anglican background and a member of the RCCG Jesus Embassy Parish, VGC.
• He is married to Mrs Abimbola Tegbe (née Ayandipo of Ogbomoso descent), and they have two sons.
• Through the Tegbe Foundation, he supports non-profit and community development initiatives across the country.
• He was the senior partner and head of advisory services at KPMG in Africa, with a portfolio and responsibilities that included the Middle East.
• He has worked for many Fortune 500 companies and African conglomerates, advising on strategic planning, investment, and portfolio reviews.
• He also led subnational governments, such as Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, and Bayelsa, in investment drives to South Africa, Denmark, China, India, Singapore, and the UAE.
• Tegbe has an extensive and wide range of experience, spanning about 30years leading/managing various projects in institutional transformation, sector and organizational reforms, strategy formulation, blueprint development & implementation, and ERP/IT solution review & implementation.
• Before his extensive consulting experience, he had worked as a Tax Consultant, led and managed various audit engagements on major local and multinational companies, the FMCG, Oil and Gas, and Manufacturing sectors in KPMG.
• He also has experience in Accounting from his experience as the Head of Materials Accounting for Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), (1991-1992 as contract staff). He is an active member of and consultant to the Infrastructure and Human Capital Development Policy Commissions of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), a member of Ikoyi Club, and Ibadan Recreation Club.
• In addition, he is the current Chairman of the National Council for Management Development (NCMD); Chairman of the Boards of Trustees of Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA)
• He is a member of the Ikoyi Club and the Ibadan Recreation Club, and serves on various corporate boards.