Nigeria’s Federal Government is targeting 6,500 megawatts of electricity supply by December 2026, as it moves to repair ageing transmission infrastructure and improve the reliability of power reaching homes and businesses. Power Minister Joseph Tegbe announced the target on Wednesday, saying the government will focus not only on generating more electricity but on ensuring available power can actually be delivered and sustained.
Tegbe spoke at the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company, known as RAMCO, which was established by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the Rural Electrification Agency and the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria.
The December target represents a significant increase from recent grid performance.
Figures from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, show that in April 2026 Nigeria had 13,625MW of installed grid-connected capacity, but only an average of 4,286MW was available for dispatch. Average utilisation was about 4,048MW during the month.
That gap between installed capacity and electricity actually available to consumers remains one of Nigeria’s biggest power-sector problems.
New Daily Prime has previously reported on the government’s attempts to tackle the financial problems behind the electricity market, including the FG’s ₦501bn power-sector debt reduction bond, which was fully subscribed earlier this year.
Tegbe says reliability will matter more than headline capacity
Tegbe said RAMCO would introduce a different approach to the management of publicly funded renewable-energy assets.
“For me, RAMCO offers a different model, a new paradigm,” he said.
The minister said he wanted the approach extended beyond renewable energy to other parts of the electricity sector, with greater emphasis on professional management, governance, maintenance and measurable performance.
His comments suggest the government wants to move away from judging success mainly by the number of megawatts installed.
“RAMCO is not going to be measured by how many megawatts you deliver, but the reliability of your delivery and the sustainability of that delivery,” Tegbe said.
That distinction is important.
Nigeria already has far more installed generation capacity than the amount of electricity routinely available on the national grid. Problems including unavailable generating units, gas shortages, transmission constraints, ageing equipment, commercial losses and financial difficulties have prevented much of that capacity from reaching consumers.
NERC’s April figures illustrate the scale of the problem: only about 4,286MW of the country’s 13,625MW installed capacity was available for dispatch during the month.
Government begins audit of ageing electricity infrastructure
Tegbe said the government has identified three major energy zones and corridors where technical audits are now being carried out.
The inspections are expected to identify faulty transmission towers, conductors, insulators and other equipment requiring replacement or repair.
According to the minister, some parts of Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure have been operating for about 42 years.
The government has already begun commissioning new transmission projects.
Earlier this month, Tegbe inaugurated a 2x60MVA, 132/33kV gas-insulated substation in Apapa, Lagos, as well as two 100MVA transformers at the Ijora Transmission Substation. The Federal Government said the projects were intended to improve electricity reliability for homes, businesses and industrial areas around Lagos.
New Daily Prime has also covered continuing efforts to reform electricity markets at state level, including Lagos regulator LASERC’s licensing of 14 electricity operators as states take on greater responsibility under Nigeria’s changing electricity laws.
Mini-grids planned where transmission lines cannot reach
The Federal Government’s plan is not limited to expanding the national grid.
Tegbe said mini-grids would increasingly be deployed in communities without transmission infrastructure.
“Wherever we do not have a transmission line, we will fill it up with mini-grids going forward,” he said.
A mini-grid is a smaller electricity network that can supply a community or group of businesses without relying entirely on the national transmission system. Many use solar power alongside batteries or other sources.
The Rural Electrification Agency is already expanding this model.
In May, Nigeria launched a $188 million green-finance facility intended to support 40 interconnected mini-grids with combined capacity of about 188MW, targeting roughly 226,000 household and business connections.
The wider World Bank-backed DARES renewable-energy programme aims to expand electricity access to more than 17 million Nigerians through mini-grids and standalone solar systems.
Tegbe said the longer-term system would combine national-grid electricity with embedded generation, renewable energy, storage and isolated or interconnected networks depending on what works best for individual communities and industrial areas.
Can Nigeria reach 6,500MW by December?
The government’s new target should be treated as a goal rather than guaranteed electricity output.
Nigeria has repeatedly announced ambitious power-generation targets over the years, while actual supply has remained much lower because generating electricity is only one part of the system.
Transmission infrastructure must be capable of carrying the power, distribution companies must deliver it to customers and generating companies need enough gas or other fuel to keep plants running.
Unexpected problems can also reduce supply. New Daily Prime previously reported how a gas-pipeline explosion disrupted electricity generation, prompting the then power minister to promise restoration within 48 hours. Read New Daily Prime’s report on the gas-related power disruption
There are financial challenges too.
The government has been trying to resolve debts owed across the electricity market while expanding metering and introducing reforms aimed at making the sector financially sustainable.
Tegbe has said the government is working on a repayment framework to tackle liquidity problems while improving the use of existing generation and transmission assets.
Reaching 6,500MW by December would therefore require not just higher generation, but enough transmission and distribution capacity to move that electricity reliably to consumers.
What readers should know
The Federal Government’s 6,500MW December target does not mean every Nigerian household will automatically receive uninterrupted electricity by the end of the year. It is a national supply target, and the effect on individual consumers will depend on generation, transmission capacity, local distribution networks and the performance of electricity companies.
For Nigerians, the more important test will be whether the planned increase results in longer and more reliable supply to homes and businesses rather than simply a higher national megawatt figure. The government’s audits of old infrastructure, new transmission projects and expansion of mini-grids will therefore be as important as the December generation target itself.
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