Nigeria's federal government has approved a $2 billion investment in a new East–West Super Grid, promising at least 19,000 megawatts (MW) of additional electricity transmission capacity. The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, announced the decision during a television interview on TVC, framing it as central to the Tinubu administration's response to chronic grid failures.

The commitment is large; the delivery window is tight. Tegbe said the project should be completed within one and a half to two years, with procurement processes already underway following presidential approval. Nigeria's recent record on megaproject timelines invites scrutiny, and the minister offered no contracting details, financing structure or named bidders to substantiate the schedule.

Where will the Super Grid run?

The proposed line will traverse Funtua, Gwagwalada, Ikot-Ekpene, Benin, Epe and Ilorin, according to Tegbe. He was explicit that the new infrastructure will complement, rather than replace, the existing national grid — adding capacity and strengthening the country's ability to move electricity between regions.

The Super Grid sits inside a broader intervention that includes a technical audit of the transmission network and the replacement and rehabilitation of critical equipment. Tegbe said the audit began shortly after he assumed office, and it has already flagged faults in specific components:

• transmission towers
• insulators
• conductors
• relays

The minister defended the audit's necessity, saying it ensures government money addresses actual equipment failures rather than infrastructure that may not be causing the disruptions. With presidential funding approval secured, he said infrastructure replacement across the grid should commence within the coming months. What that means in practice — procurement timelines, contractor selection — went unsaid.

One named priority is the Oshogbo–Ikeja West corridor, whose restoration is expected to deliver an additional 400MW into the Lagos electricity complex. That figure is modest against Lagos's demand, but it is one of the few concrete, near-term numbers in the announcement.

What does this change for generation companies?

The financial picture is more measurable. Tegbe disclosed that the federal government has paid ₦1.23 trillion of the roughly ₦3.3 trillion owed to generation companies (GenCos, the firms that produce electricity for the national grid), leaving an outstanding balance of about ₦2 trillion. He said the accumulated debts had constrained GenCos' ability to pay gas suppliers, despite Nigeria's significant natural gas resources.

The administration targets settlement of the remaining balance in 2027, aiming to improve generator liquidity, enable gas procurement and optimise available capacity. A two-year wait for full payment means the liquidity squeeze persists in the interim — a caveat the minister did not address.

Can idle plants close the gap?

Tegbe also pointed to underutilised generation assets, particularly in the Niger Delta. Plants operated by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC, a government-owned generation firm) have a combined installed capacity exceeding 3,000MW but currently contribute approximately 400MW — a utilisation rate below 15 per cent. Optimising these facilities, alongside resolving gas supply and transmission constraints, is expected to improve delivery from existing infrastructure before new capacity arrives.

What role does the Electricity Act 2023 play?

The minister identified the Electricity Act 2023 as a turning point, saying the legislation has decentralised the industry and opened generation, transmission and distribution to states and private investors. The framework allows states to build electricity markets suited to their needs — independent power generation, mini-grids (small localised electricity networks) and gas-fired solutions complementing the national grid.

Four states are already moving:

• Lagos
• Ogun
• Abia
• Enugu

The Act also provides for bilateral electricity arrangements, letting generators supply power directly to willing off-takers or feed the grid through regulated channels. Tegbe said these provisions are encouraging investment, competition and recapitalisation of the sector. He added that the federal government expects private sector participation in transmission to expand within the next two to three years, complementing public infrastructure spending.

The minister closed by reaffirming the administration's strategy: address structural weaknesses across the electricity value chain, attract long-term investment, improve operational efficiency and deliver more reliable power to Nigerians. That is the promise. The test will be whether a $2 billion grid, a ₦2 trillion debt settlement and an unbundled market arrive on the timelines stated — or join the long list of Nigerian power plans that slipped.