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The Federal Government says resilient electricity grids should receive the same strategic attention traditionally given to fuel supplies in global energy security planning.
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Power Minister Joseph Tegbe says Nigeria’s reforms are designed to create regulatory certainty and attract the capital needed to expand electricity infrastructure.
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Tegbe says Africa’s mineral wealth, renewable energy potential and rising power demand will place the continent at the centre of global energy geopolitics.
September 02, (THEWILL) — The Federal Government has said resilient electricity grids must become a central component of national energy security, arguing that countries can no longer rely solely on hydrocarbon reserves to protect their economies from geopolitical and economic shocks.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, made the argument on Tuesday while delivering a keynote address at the opening plenary of the Middle East Energy 2026 Leadership Summit in Dubai.
Speaking on “Energy Security and the Effect of Geopolitics” at the 50th edition of the summit, Tegbe said the changing global energy landscape had expanded the meaning of energy security to include the resilience of electricity infrastructure, critical mineral supply chains, capital and institutions.
He said the ability to maintain electricity supplies to homes, hospitals and industries during periods of economic or geopolitical stress should be treated as a strategic priority.
Investment certainty key to power reforms
Tegbe said Nigeria’s ongoing power sector reforms were focused on creating the certainty required to attract long-term investment into electricity infrastructure.
He identified regulatory certainty, contract sanctity and bankable offtake arrangements as essential to ensuring that the reforms deliver sustainable improvements in the sector.
“Capital does not flee risk; it flees uncertainty. Investors will price risk all day long; what they cannot price is a rule that changes after the contract is signed,” he said.
The minister described the Electricity Act 2023 as the most far-reaching reform of Nigeria’s power sector in a generation, noting that it ended the Federal Government’s longstanding monopoly and created 37 emerging electricity markets across the federation.
He said the reforms were being implemented under President Bola Tinubu and could provide lessons for other developing economies seeking to strengthen their energy systems.
Tegbe also argued that affordability should be considered an energy security issue, warning that energy transitions must be orderly and responsive to the circumstances of individual countries.
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Africa at centre of energy geopolitics
The minister highlighted Nigeria’s more than 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves and its two-decade record of supplying liquefied natural gas to Europe and Asia as evidence of the country’s role in global energy security.
He also placed Africa at the centre of the emerging global energy landscape, pointing to the continent’s mineral resources, solar potential, youthful population and rapidly growing energy demand.
Tegbe noted that about 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, creating both a major development challenge and an opportunity for investment.
He called for partnerships that move beyond extracting raw resources to include local processing, manufacturing, skills transfer and patient capital.
“Africa is not at the margins of energy geopolitics; it is the fulcrum,” he said.
Tegbe invited international investors and development partners to participate in expanding the continent’s energy infrastructure.
“Nigeria has chosen to build. Africa has chosen to build. And we invite you, in the spirit of this remarkable city and this landmark fiftieth summit, to build with us,” he said.
The minister is expected to participate in further engagements in Dubai, including a ministerial fireside session on financing Africa’s power future under the summit’s Africa Spotlight programme.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
