POWER SHAKE-UP: Tegbe Inaugurates REA Board, Demands Real Impact — “Every Decision Must Touch Nigerians”
In what signals a renewed push to fix Nigeria’s struggling power sector, the Honourable Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, has inaugurated the Governing Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), issuing a blunt directive: deliver results that Nigerians can feel.
The high-level ceremony, held in Abuja, brought together top government officials including the Permanent Secretary, Board Chairman and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, the REA Managing Director/CEO, and other key stakeholders.
Tegbe made it clear that this is not business as usual.
According to him, the Board’s inauguration aligns directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s aggressive drive to enforce accountability and reposition public institutions for performance. He described REA as a frontline agency in the battle to close Nigeria’s widening energy gap.
“Every mini-grid, every solar installation, every electrified school, market, farm or health centre must translate into real economic opportunity,” Tegbe stressed, underscoring the urgency of impact-driven governance.
The Minister pointed to flagship interventions such as the Energizing Education, Energizing Economies, Energizing Agriculture Programmes, and the Africa Mini-Grids Programme as proof that the administration is shifting from promises to action.
He warned, however, that results not rhetoric will define the success of the new Board.
Drawing a firm governance line, Tegbe clarified that while the Board is responsible for strategy and oversight, the Agency’s management must take full charge of execution. He noted that the Board will meet quarterly to assess performance, while management will be held strictly accountable for outcomes.
The Board, constituted under Section 130 of the Electricity Act, takes office at what insiders describe as a critical turning point for Nigeria’s rural electrification drive.
Tegbe also threw his weight behind Fayose, praising his leadership experience and expressing confidence that the Board has the capacity to deliver where others have failed.
Electricity, he insisted, is no longer just infrastructure it is a lifeline for economic survival, inclusion, and national growth.
Responding, Fayose fired back with strong words of endorsement for the Minister, describing his appointment by President Tinubu as a clear signal that the Federal Government is finally serious about solving Nigeria’s power crisis.
“This is not a routine appointment. It is a statement,” Fayose declared.
He described Tegbe as a results-driven technocrat whose expertise is already triggering a shift in the sector, while pledging that the Board will work aggressively with the Ministry and REA management to deliver measurable outcomes.
With expectations high and pressure mounting, all eyes are now on the newly inaugurated Board to prove that this latest intervention will not end like previous promises—but finally bring light to millions of underserved Nigerians.
