By Ayo Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has nominated former KPMG Africa executive, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, as the new Minister of Power, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
A statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the nomination, which was transmitted to the Senate, is in line with constitutional requirements.
The nomination follows the resignation of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who stepped down from office to pursue elective office ahead of the 2027 political cycle.
The Presidency described Tegbe as a highly experienced fiscal and economic reform expert with more than 35 years of professional experience across the public and private sectors.
A native of Oyo State, Tegbe, previously served as Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, where he led major initiatives focused on fiscal policy reforms, institutional transformation, governance restructuring and strategic investment advisory.
During his years in the consulting and advisory space, he worked extensively with government institutions and private sector organisations on economic reforms, regulatory frameworks and investment structuring to improve institutional efficiency and sustainable growth.
The Presidency further noted that Tegbe currently serves as Director General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), where he coordinates bilateral development cooperation between Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China.
In that role, he is responsible for facilitating engagements between Nigerian public institutions and Chinese stakeholders in areas critical to economic growth, infrastructure development and industrial cooperation.
According to the statement, the NCSP also coordinates partnerships and development initiatives aligned with the objectives of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), particularly in strategic sectors such as infrastructure, energy, manufacturing and economic development.
The Presidency highlighted Tegbe’s previous engagements within Nigeria’s power sector, especially in the areas of regulatory and institutional reforms involving agencies such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company.
President Tinubu expects the minister-designate to bring his vast expertise to bear in advancing ongoing reforms in the country’s electricity sector.
Nigeria’s power sector has continued to face major challenges, including inadequate generation, weak transmission infrastructure, recurring national grid collapses, liquidity constraints and insufficient investment across the electricity value chain.
However, the Tinubu administration has repeatedly pledged to address those challenges through reforms targeted at improving generation capacity, expanding transmission infrastructure, strengthening distribution networks and attracting both local and foreign investments into the sector.
If confirmed by the Senate, Tegbe is expected to oversee ongoing reforms aimed at improving grid stability, enhancing regulatory efficiency, boosting investor confidence and ensuring more reliable electricity supply for Nigerians.
The Presidency said President Tinubu is confident that the minister-designate’s extensive expertise in economic management, governance reform and institutional development would help deliver improved outcomes in the power sector and support broader national economic growth objectives.
