85% of Nigerians will have access to electricity by end of 2022 – Power Minister promises

Ezeme Solomon

The Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, has said that the recurring “power failures in the country will soon be a thing of the past”, adding that 85 percent of Nigerians will have access to electricity by the end of 2022.

Agba made the disclosure on Tuesday at the infrastructure Town Hall meeting in Abuja. The event was to create the open channel for feedback and comments from the media, Civil Society Organisations and the general public on the scorecard of the Federal Government in the area of infrastructure.

The Minister, however, restated the Power Ministry’s commitment to tackling ‘estimated billing’ through fullscale mass metering.

He said, “Power failure is a thing of the past. By the end of the year, 85 percent of Nigerians will have electricity.

“Also, all the houses will be metered – you will only pay for what you consume,” he said.

Jedy-Agba however praised the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for contributions towards the development of the off-grid power sector of the country, especially in rural communities.

Also present at the meeting were Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Minister of Works and Housing; Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture; and Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning.