Nigeria targets 70,000MW to tackle power crisis

File Photo: Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe

The Federal Government has set a target of generating 70,000 megawatts of electricity by 2030, with plans to expand power infrastructure to meet rising demand from industries, businesses and households.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this on Tuesday at the ongoing 13th Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit in Lagos, where he outlined the government’s strategy to stabilise the national grid, improve electricity delivery and expand generation capacity.

Tegbe acknowledged the gap between Nigeria’s current electricity supply and the ambitious target but insisted that the country must prepare for future demand driven by industrialisation, technology and the rapid growth of data centres.

Despite an installed capacity of over 13,000MW, Nigeria currently struggles to generate less than 5,000MW of electricity.

According to Tegbe, the ambition to hit 70,000MW in the next four years won’t be determined by the current capacity, noting that data centres have raised energy demands globally.

“Our plan still remains that by 2030, we’re looking at 70 gigawatts for Nigeria. People will ask me question: ‘You’re struggling with 5GW; you’re struggling with 4GW, yet you have an ambition to reach 70GW. The US today has a gap of 357GW just due to AI and data centres alone, not population expansion… Nigeria will not be left behind,” he stated.

The minister maintained that the government’s long-term expansion strategy included an East-West Grid programme designed to strengthen the national transmission network and improve electricity supply along major economic corridors.

Tegbe also disclosed plans to develop small hydropower projects, revealing that 21 dams had been identified along the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway for possible development.

“It will interest you that 21 dams were discovered along the Sokoto–Badagry Express Road, and the President said we should fix and sort out those dams and ensure that those dams actually result into proper hydro project,” he said.

He added that the government would pursue the Mambilla hydropower project alongside smaller schemes capable of supporting agricultural corridors, processing clusters and communities.

The minister added that the Federal Government would work with state governments, regulators and private operators to align electricity projects and improve supply across the three corridors.

On the sector’s financial challenges, he said the government had paid N1.23tn out of the N3.3tn legacy debt owed to power generation companies, saying the government was considering structured settlements, payment assurance mechanisms and legally permissible net-off arrangements to address outstanding obligations and prevent further accumulation of debt.

Earlier, the Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, said reliable and affordable electricity remained critical to the state’s economic ambitions.

He posited that the Lagos State Electricity Law, enacted in 2024, established a framework for a more competitive electricity market, strengthened regulation and encouraged private investment.

In his opening speech, the Exhibition Director, Energy Portfolio at inD, Ade Yesufu, said Nigeria has the resources and growing investor interest needed to improve electricity supply, pointing to its gas reserves and emerging generation of developers and innovators.

“Many of us in this room grew up knowing the joy of hearing the whole street scream ‘Up NEPA!’ We still do to this very day. I believe everyone here shares the same hope that the next generation of Nigerians will grow up without ever needing to experience this type of excitement because reliable power will simply be a part of everyday life. That is what brings us here today.”