Nigeria outlines roadmap to expand electricity capacity and infrastructure

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has unveiled a multi-phase roadmap to stabilize and transform the nation’s electricity sector. Speaking at the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit 2026 in Lagos, Tegbe detailed a three-phase plan: a stabilization phase through February 2027, a scaling phase from March 2027 to 2028, and a long-term transformation phase beginning in 2028.

The government aims to increase electricity generation capacity to 70,000 MW by 2060, a significant leap from the current installed capacity of approximately 13,000 MW, which often produces less than 5,000 MW. To support this, the ministry is prioritizing three economic energy corridors: Lagos–Ogun, Benin–Enugu–Port Harcourt, and Abuja–Kaduna–Kano.

Key initiatives include addressing the sector’s ₦3.3 trillion in legacy liabilities, with the federal government having already paid ₦1.23 trillion. Infrastructure improvements are also underway, such as the inauguration of transmission substation projects in Kano and Katsina states, and the identification of 21 dams along the Sokoto–Badagry Expressway for potential hydroelectric conversion. The strategy focuses on enhancing energy zones, strengthening sector liquidity, optimizing existing assets, and expanding transmission infrastructure to match generation capacity.