The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has said President Bola Tinubu is taking steps to address Nigeria’s longstanding electricity crisis through policy reforms, infrastructure investments and efforts to strengthen the power sector.
The council maintained that Tinubu remained committed to his 2023 campaign promise to ensure stable electricity supply and end estimated billing, insisting that his administration’s interventions were gradually repositioning the sector for improved performance.
In a press statement issued on November 1, 2026, and signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council said the President’s electricity campaign pledge should be considered alongside the concluding part of his remarks, in which he promised to provide Nigerians with adequate explanations if he failed to deliver before seeking a second term.
At a meeting with members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos ahead of the 2023 general elections, Tinubu had promised to address estimated billing and other challenges affecting electricity supply.
“Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept,” Tinubu had said.
He further challenged Nigerians not to vote for him for a second term if he failed to fulfil the promise without providing adequate reasons for his inability to deliver.
Defending the administration’s record, the APC council said Tinubu signed the Electricity Act, 2023, on June 9, barely two weeks after assuming office, to liberalise the sector and allow state governments to participate in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
According to the statement, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger have begun taking advantage of the legislation by establishing their own electricity regulatory agencies and attracting private investment.
“The Electricity Act effectively liberalised and deregulated the power sector, moving it away from the Exclusive List so that the states, as subnationals, can participate in power generation, distribution and transmission,” Alake said.
The council also said the administration had taken steps to address the sector’s financial challenges, including tackling more than ₦6 trillion in legacy debts accumulated between 2015 and 2025.
It disclosed that the Presidential Metering Initiative had facilitated the installation of meters for more than 1.5 million electricity customers in the last three years, as part of efforts to address the country’s metering deficit of over seven million.
“The President took on the over N6 trillion legacy debt that had accumulated from 2015 to 2025. He started a Presidential Metering Initiative to close the over 7 million metering gap,” the statement said.
The council further disclosed that the Federal Government established a ₦4 trillion bond programme to settle verified legacy debts owed to 21 power generation companies (Gencos) and gas companies (Gascos).
It said the first and second tranches of the programme had raised more than ₦1.2 trillion towards settling the outstanding debts.
According to Alake, the intervention was helping to restore confidence in the electricity market and encourage fresh investments by power generation companies.
He cited Geregu Power Plc’s recent investment in new power transformers to improve operations at its Geregu 1 Power Plant as an example of renewed investment in the sector.
On electricity infrastructure, the council said the administration had continued the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative inherited from the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
It explained that Tinubu reviewed the existing agreement and signed an Acceleration Agreement with German partners in December 2023 to fast-track projects aimed at strengthening the national transmission grid.
The Federal Executive Council approved the first batch of five Transmission Company of Nigeria substations for upgrades in December 2024. In June 2026, it also approved the construction of eight new substations and the upgrade of four existing ones.
The council added that the government was planning to modernise the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which was built more than 60 years ago, and develop an East-West super grid.
On electricity tariffs, Alake said the administration had introduced different service bands to improve the financial position of electricity distribution companies while reducing the government’s financial burden associated with subsidies.
He acknowledged the challenge of balancing cost-reflective tariffs with affordable electricity for Nigerians, adding that the government would continue to explore measures to protect low-income households.
“Unlocking the power sector requires resolving commercial challenges. Operators need to charge cost-reflective tariffs, while electricity must remain affordable for most of the population,” he said.
The council, however, acknowledged that fixing Nigeria’s electricity sector remained ongoing work, noting that major infrastructure projects required specialised equipment and could not be completed overnight.
“Fixing the electricity market and power sector is ongoing work,” Alake said, insisting that the President had not abandoned his campaign commitment.
He added that Tinubu would present his administration’s achievements and outstanding challenges in the power sector to Nigerians as he seeks a second term in office.