Akugbe Iyamu Commends Power Minister Tegbe, Says Reforms Could Transform Nigeria’s Electricity Sector
AVM (rtd.) Akugbe Iyamu, President of the Association of Environmental Protection and Climate Change Practitioners, has commended the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, for what he described as a noticeable shift in Nigeria’s electricity sector, urging him to sustain the momentum and avoid complacency.
In a statement assessing developments in the power sector, Iyamu said Tegbe’s approach since assuming office in May 2026 had demonstrated that persistent challenges in electricity supply could be addressed through competence, ethical leadership, commitment and effective execution.
He described Tegbe as a “possible light in an impossible darkness,” arguing that Nigerians had endured years of frustration over inadequate electricity supply and the perceived inability of successive administrations to resolve longstanding challenges in the sector.
According to him, recent developments under the new minister have begun to create renewed optimism among citizens who had become increasingly disillusioned with the electricity situation.
“Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, where have you been? You are bringing possibilities that no one ever thought possible into a chequered electricity environment, and that provision of improved electricity supply should not take forever,” Iyamu said.
He maintained that the challenges confronting Nigeria’s electricity sector over the past decade had been “obvious and damning,” adding that the situation had generated widespread frustration among Nigerians.
Iyamu attributed some of the sector’s previous difficulties to what he described as deficiencies in knowledge, skills and competence, saying Tegbe’s performance had highlighted the importance of professionalism and a strong work ethic in public service.
He said the minister had demonstrated that government should not have to wait for public outrage before delivering essential services to citizens.
“You have demonstrated that it should never take citizens’ outrage and outcry to accomplish basic routine assignments like providing electricity for Nigerians,” he said.
The environmental practitioner said he had rarely singled out government officials for praise but made an exception in Tegbe’s case because of what he described as the minister’s commitment to quality service, moral rectitude and effective administration.
According to him, the progress recorded since May 2026 reinforces the principle that “only quality input can produce quality output,” stressing that there should be no shortcuts in efforts to resolve Nigeria’s electricity challenges.
Iyamu further argued that Tegbe’s tenure, though still relatively short, had demonstrated the capacity of Nigerians to solve the country’s most difficult problems when merit, competence and accountability were prioritised over mediocrity.
Drawing a parallel with Singapore’s development experience, he cited the late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s account in From Third World to First, arguing that Singapore’s transformation was driven largely by the effective mobilisation of its citizens and institutions.
He said Tegbe was similarly demonstrating that Nigeria’s electricity sector could be rebuilt through local capacity, competence and sustained commitment.
Iyamu also compared Tegbe’s efforts with those of Ramón Méndez Galain, the Uruguayan physicist and former Energy Secretary credited with helping drive Uruguay’s transition toward a predominantly renewable electricity system.
He noted that Méndez Galain, appointed in 2008 under President Tabaré Vázquez, helped develop a broad national energy plan that significantly reduced Uruguay’s dependence on fossil fuels and expanded renewable electricity generation.
While commending Tegbe, Iyamu urged the minister to sustain his efforts and remain focused on long-term reforms.
“This brief acknowledgement is for you to do more and not descend into complacency because on your efforts and actions rest the journey to a Nigeria government one trillion-dollar economy,” he said.
Iyamu said reliable electricity remained central to Nigeria’s economic transformation, noting that industrialisation, job creation, investment, technological development and improved living standards would depend significantly on a more stable and efficient power sector.
He added that the development of any nation was “divergent and multidimensional,” but stressed that electricity remained a cardinal component of Nigeria’s journey toward sustainable economic growth.
The statement was signed by AVM (rtd.) Akugbe Iyamu, MNSA, fsi, President of the Association of Environmental Protection and Climate Change Practitioners, Consultant on Climate Change, Environmental Policy Analyst and Commentator on National Issues.
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