Electricity: ‘Nigerians Tell Me to Slow Down, Freezers Are Freezing’

By Adebola Muili

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has said improvements in electricity supply across some parts of the country have become noticeable, with some Nigerians jokingly asking him to “slow down” because their freezers are now working continuously.

Tegbe made the remark on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, while speaking at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.

The minister said some areas that previously experienced prolonged power outages were now receiving up to 18 hours of electricity supply, describing the development as evidence of the progress being made in the sector.

According to him, some residents who had experienced the improvement contacted him to complain that their freezers were now constantly running.

“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing,” Tegbe said.

He added humorously: “That is what freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen.”

Tegbe recalled that during his Senate screening, he had promised that Nigerians would begin to see noticeable improvements in electricity supply within three to six months.

The minister said the government was working systematically to address longstanding challenges in the power sector, particularly the ageing infrastructure responsible for some of the difficulties confronting electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

He noted that some of the infrastructure currently in use across the sector was more than four decades old, making replacement and modernisation necessary to achieve sustained improvements.

“Some of the infrastructure we have in the electricity and power sector are more than 40 years old. We’re systematically replacing them, phasing them out and bringing new ones,” he said.

The commissioning of the 3MW solar hybrid project at Yakubu Gowon University forms part of ongoing efforts to expand alternative and more reliable electricity sources for public institutions while reducing dependence on conventional power supply.

Tegbe said the administration remained focused on improving electricity availability across the country, while acknowledging that the transformation of the power sector would require the gradual replacement of obsolete infrastructure and continued investment in new systems.