ELECTRICITY: FREEZER DON FINALLY SEE LIGHT AS POWER MINISTER SAYS NIGERIANS DEY BEG AMID IMPROVED SUPPLY

Electricity don enter one funny-but-serious chapter after Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said some Nigerians allegedly asked him to “slow down” with efforts to improve power supply because their freezers were now working continuously. But behind the joke dey one bigger question: if some communities are truly seeing longer hours of supply, how sustainable can the improvement be when old infrastructure and vandalism still dey threaten the sector?

Tegbe made the disclosure on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, in Abuja during the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly known as the University of Abuja. He said some places that previously stayed without electricity for months were now recording up to 18 hours of supply. His “freezer” comment has since become the most humorous part of the electricity conversation, but the minister also used the occasion to point attention to the difficult work still ahead.

FREEZER DON SEE LIGHT, BUT POWER WAHALA NEVER FINISH

According to Tegbe, some electricity consumers contacted him after experiencing longer periods of supply and jokingly complained that their freezers were now working continuously. His response was simple: a freezer is supposed to freeze food. The comment paints a humorous picture of Nigerians adjusting to a situation where an appliance that normally spends plenty time waiting for light is suddenly getting more opportunity to do its job.

Tegbe also recalled his promise during his Senate screening that Nigerians would begin to notice improvements in electricity supply within three to six months. He acknowledged, however, that the country’s power problems cannot disappear overnight. Some electricity infrastructure, he said, is more than 40 years old, while government is gradually replacing and phasing out older facilities. The minister’s remarks therefore put the Electricity improvement claim alongside an admission that the sector still requires major infrastructure work.

The minister’s comments come after his June 2026 assumption of office, when the Federal Government identified increasing generation, modernising transmission infrastructure, improving sector liquidity and expanding renewable-energy investment among its power-sector priorities.

OLD INFRASTRUCTURE, VANDALISM AND THE BIGGER POWER TEST

Beyond the Freezer joke, Tegbe raised a more serious concern about the destruction of electricity infrastructure. He disclosed that three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi had been pulled down after vandals attacked their foundations and removed parts of the structures for scrap. He said the government had established a joint committee involving the EFCC, Police and NSCDC to strengthen protection of critical electricity infrastructure and pursue vandalism as a serious criminal matter.

The wider power-sector picture shows that government is also putting attention on transmission and grid stability. In July, the Federal Ministry of Power said it was planning fresh investment to strengthen the national grid against recurring collapses and voltage fluctuations. In August, major transmission projects in Lagos, including new transformer and substation capacity, were inaugurated as part of efforts to improve electricity delivery to homes, businesses and industries.

So while the Electricity story about freezers may sound like comedy for social media, the bigger issue remains whether longer supply hours can be maintained consistently across different parts of Nigeria. The minister’s comments point to progress reported in some communities, but they also highlight the unfinished work around old equipment, grid stability and protection of transmission assets. For Nigerians, the real celebration will likely come when reliable light stops looking like special news and becomes normal everyday life. OGM News Pidgin go continue to monitor the power situation as government projects, infrastructure upgrades and the fight against vandalism unfold.