Nigeria targets 8,000MW power generation by 2027 amid sector reforms

Nigeria's Federal Government has set an ambitious target of generating and transmitting 8,000 megawatts of electricity by the end of 2027, signaling a significant push to overhaul the nation's power sector. Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, revealed the goal, acknowledging the country's current difficulty in transmitting approximately 5,000MW.

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We are struggling to wheel 5,000MW today. My target is that by the end of this year, we’ll confidently be wheeling 6,500MW. By the end of next year, we will be wheeling conveniently 8,000MW.

Tegbe expressed confidence that transmission capacity would rise to 6,500MW by the close of the current year and reach the 8,000MW target by the end of 2027. He also conveyed optimism that Nigerians would soon experience round-the-clock electricity, describing recent improvements as merely the beginning of the administration's transformation efforts.

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Nigeria has lived too long with an embarrassing paradox. We’re very rich in power assets, energy resources, and installed infrastructure, yet we’re poor in the ability to depend on electricity.

The minister highlighted Nigeria's long-standing paradox of possessing abundant power assets yet suffering from inadequate electricity supply. He stated that the government is committed to transforming the power sector, aiming for a future where 24/7 electricity is a reality for all citizens.

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For me, RAMCO offers a different model, a new paradigm. And like I said, I’m committed to not only limiting this to renewable energy; we will also shift it to the entire grid. And this new model will focus on professional stewardship, robust discipline, sustainability, and measured performance.

As part of these reforms, the Renewable Energy Assets Management Company (RAMCO) has been launched. Tegbe described RAMCO as a new model focused on professional stewardship, discipline, sustainability, and measured performance. Its mandate will initially focus on renewable energy infrastructure but is expected to expand to encompass the entire electricity grid. The government also plans to develop a versatile electricity system integrating grid supply, embedded generation, renewables, and storage solutions, with mini-grids deployed in areas lacking transmission infrastructure.

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As a nation, the plan is to build a versatile electricity future that combines grid supply, embedded generation, interconnected and distributed renewables, distributed renewable energy resources, storage and other technologies that suit a particular community and economic cluster.