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A former Minister of Power and Chief of Geometric Energy, Professor Barth Nnaji, has explained the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to meet increased energy demands in the country.
Speaking on the TV morning show that appeared on Friday, 2025, Nnaji stressed that Nigeria needed a minimum of 100,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity to encourage industrial growth and serve the population that developed.
“We need at least 100,000 megawatt power here to be available, not only installed, to be able to serve this country,” Nnaji stated, highlighting striking contrast with the current generation capacity, which floated around 5,500 MW.
The essence of the NNAJI discourse is the problem of urgent electricity tariffs. He argues that in order for Nigeria to reach a stable and sustainable power supply, electricity must be given the right price. “If we want to have electricity, it must be paid. There is no place where free electricity in the world. But that must be affordable, that is, it must be reflective costs,” he said.
NNAJI warned that the current non-cost tariff regime has caused a surprising N4 trillion debt burden on the federal government, which originated from electrical services that have not been paid in all value chains. This financial tension hampered the ability of generation companies (Gencos) and distribution companies (Disco) to operate effectively, preventing potential investors from entering this sector.
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Outside the tariff, NNAJI highlights deficiencies in Nigerian electrical infrastructure, especially in transmission and distribution. “As we are now, transmission infrastructure will not be able to bring the strengths needed in this country,” he said, calling for an urgent increase at all levels of the electricity value chain.
He stressed the importance of strategic investment and clear and focused strategy to prioritize the availability of power and strengthen the state transmission and distribution network. NNAJI also shows that distribution companies must invest in substations to ensure efficient power distribution, warning that without such an investment, the country will continue to experience a burden release.
Overcoming the country’s energy mixture, NNAJI recommends utilizing abundant Nigerian natural gas resources to improve power plants. He argues that while renewable energy sources such as solar power are very important for the future, they are not a direct solution to the challenges of Nigeria’s power. “We have a lot of natural gas, we need to take advantage of this availability by producing this gas to be able to use it to build power plants,” NNAJI said.
Considering the prohibition proposed by the federal government for the import of solar panels to encourage local manufacturing, NNAJI expressed skepticism about the readiness of the country for such a step. He acknowledged the importance of domestic production but warned of a sudden prohibition, showing a period of transition to build local capacity. “I do not think that the prohibition of immediate import of solar panels will take us there, but maybe it might stimulate many people to invest in the production of solar panels,” he said.
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