Slow Down, Our Freezers Are Now Freezing’ — Power Minister Reveals Nigerians’ Feedback

By Aliyu Oyewole 

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, says some Nigerians have asked him to “slow down” efforts to improve electricity supply because their freezers are now working continuously.

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

According to the minister, the Federal Government’s efforts to improve electricity supply are already being felt in some parts of the country.

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

“That is what freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” Tegbe said.

The minister recalled that during his Senate screening, he promised that Nigerians would begin to notice improvements in electricity supply within three to six months.

However, Tegbe acknowledged that the power sector continues to face major infrastructure challenges, noting that some electricity facilities across the country are 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,” he said.

Vandalism Threatens Power Supply

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

He said the affected towers were part of the infrastructure supplying electricity to Kebbi State and extending to Niger Republic.

According to the minister, the vandals attacked the foundations of the towers before bringing them down and cutting sections of the structures for sale in the scrap market.

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

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

Tegbe added that the government was working to ensure that vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure was treated as a serious criminal offence.

University Gets 3MW Solar Hybrid Power Project

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

The project is designed to provide electricity to critical facilities across the university, including lecture halls, laboratories, ICT facilities, administrative buildings and campus lighting.

Tegbe said 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, while 3,201 jobs were reportedly created during its implementation.

The minister said the battery storage system could also be expanded to provide electricity to other parts of the university, including student hostels.

He added that the Rural Electrification Agency would work with the university to address areas of the campus that still require improved lighting.

Tegbe also urged the institution to use the facility as a platform for research into renewable energy, battery storage, smart metering, energy management, grid integration, cybersecurity and other emerging areas of energy technology.

REA: Project Will Transform Academic Activities

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the project as a major milestone under the Energizing Education Programme.

Aliyu said the value of the project should not be measured solely by the amount of electricity generated but also by its impact on students, research, academic activities and the wider learning environment.

He said reliable electricity would enable university laboratories to operate more effectively, strengthen digital services and reduce pressure on institutional operating costs.

He urged the university to use the infrastructure to advance research into distributed energy resources and develop solutions suited to Nigeria’s energy challenges.

The Head of the Nigeria Electrification Project, Olufemi Akinyelure, similarly stressed the broader development benefits of reliable electricity.

He said, “The government may not be in the business of making profit, but it must always be in the business of making progress.”

Akinyelure added that powering a university goes beyond lighting buildings, as reliable electricity can support innovation and strengthen the country’s future.

Abaribe, VC Seek Sustainability

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, commended the Federal Government and the minister for implementing the Energizing Education Programme.

Abaribe said dependable electricity remained fundamental to the development of Nigeria’s education sector.

He, however, stressed the need for communities to participate actively in protecting and sustaining public infrastructure located within their areas.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, said dependable electricity was critical to the institution’s academic mission.

Fawehinmi noted that a modern university could not effectively conduct teaching, research, laboratory activities and digital services without reliable power.

He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government and the Rural Electrification Agency for the intervention, describing the solar hybrid project as a major infrastructure investment in the university.

The vice-chancellor also called for continued collaboration between government agencies and the institution to ensure the project remains operational and delivers its intended benefits to students and staff.