Stories by Peter Uzoho
Energy finance expert and Chief Executive Officer of New Hampshire Capital Limited, Mr. Odion Omonfoman, has said the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, must be “absolutely bullish” on completing stalled strategic power projects if Nigerians are to see real improvement in electricity supply before May 2027.
In his stakeholder advice note, obtained by THISDAY, Omonfoman framed his recommendations around one hypothetical question: “If appointed as the minister of power today, what would be my immediate policy focus before this administration ends its first term?”
His answer centred on aggressive execution, with transmission delivery as the lead item.
Borrowing from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike’s reputation for infrastructure delivery, Omonfoman said Tegbe must identify stalled strategic power projects, especially critical transmission bottlenecks, and drive them to completion within 12 months.
“The transmission network remains the choke point,” Omonfoman stated.
Despite improvements in generation, he observed that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)’s constraints keep over 2,000MW stranded and unable to reach homes and businesses.
He argued that a Wike-style delivery culture would mean weekly project reviews, contractor accountability, and fast resolution of right-of-way issues.
For an administration facing intense pressure to show tangible performance, he said commissioning bottlenecked transmission lines would deliver visible megawatts without building new plants.
Omonfoman pointed out that coordination across the energy value chain remains the sector’s biggest silent killer.
“Coordination across the energy value chain is currently too fragmented,” he noted.
He argued that while the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) holds quarterly regulatory meetings, these function more as briefings than real coordination.
