Tinubu Nominates Tegbe as Power Minister to Replace Adelabu

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power, subject to Senate confirmation. The announcement came Thursday via a statement from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, days after former minister Adebayo Adelabu resigned effective April 30 to pursue the Oyo State governorship.

Who Is Tegbe?

Tegbe is an Oyo State indigene with over three decades of experience across public and private sectors. He served as Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, where he focused on fiscal policy reform, governance, and institutional transformation. More recently, he has served as Director General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, coordinating bilateral development efforts between Abuja and Beijing.

His profile is that of a technocrat rather than a politician — which is exactly what electricity experts had been calling for. When Adelabu’s resignation was announced last week, industry voices were quick to warn against replacing him with another party loyalist. Whether Tegbe fits that bill in practice will depend on how he handles what is arguably the hardest ministerial job in Nigeria.

A Sector on the Edge

Tegbe steps in at a rough moment. The Egbin Power Plant — one of Nigeria’s largest — has been offline, putting the grid under serious pressure. Generation capacity remains far below demand, DisCos continue to lose billions to collection failures, and the partial electricity privatisation has failed to deliver the stability it promised over a decade ago.

Onanuga’s statement said the nomination “is expected to strengthen further ongoing efforts to reform the power sector, enhance grid stability, and attract sustainable investment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.” The language is familiar. Nigerians have heard it before. What they haven’t seen is consistent power supply.

Senate Confirmation Ahead

The nomination has been transmitted to the Senate for screening. Confirmation is typically a formality, but the Senate has occasionally used the process to extract political assurances. Tegbe should sail through — the real test begins the day he takes office.

Sources: Punch, Premium Times, Legit.ng