“Let It Freeze”: Minister’s Response to “My Freezer Won’t Stop Freezing” Complaints

For Nigerians who have spent years treating electricity as an occasional visitor, the Federal Government says a noticeable change is beginning to emerge in some parts of the country.

Some communities that previously went for months without regular electricity are now reportedly receiving up to 18 hours of supply a day.

And according to Power Minister Joseph Tegbe, at least one unexpected complaint has emerged: some consumers are asking him to slow down because their freezers are now running almost continuously.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Tegbe made the remark on Wednesday while speaking at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.

“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing,” Tegbe said.

His response was straightforward:

“That is what freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” he added.Behind the light-hearted remark, however, lies a much bigger government plan for Nigeria’s troubled electricity market.

FG Targets End of Power Subsidy

Tegbe has previously disclosed that the Federal Government intends to end electricity subsidies in 2027 as part of a wider effort to make the power sector financially sustainable.

The minister described the existing arrangement as the “so-called subsidy” and said the government was working towards ending it without compromising electricity supply or immediately increasing tariffs.

“I promise you, next year, by God’s grace, we will put a stop to this so-called subsidy in the power sector,” Tegbe said.

But the government has also sought to draw a distinction between removing the subsidy and immediately increasing what consumers pay.

“There is no policy by this administration to increase electricity tariffs beyond their current level in the meantime,” the minister said.

He added, “Our priority is not a tariff increase in the meantime. Our priority is service improvement, universal access, and ensuring Nigerians only pay for everything that they actually consume.”

What Happens to Vulnerable Nigerians?

The planned subsidy reform raises an obvious question: what happens to Nigerians who already struggle to pay their electricity bills?

ADVERTISEMENT

Tegbe acknowledged that concern and said the government was developing measures to protect vulnerable consumers.

“There are Nigerians that can’t afford to adequately pay for power. These are the vulnerable people. We will protect them,” he said.

The minister also linked subsidy reform to the enormous financial obligations already weighing on the electricity market.

He said the government was seeking presidential approval to address an estimated ₦3.3 trillion in legacy debt in the sector and establish a funding structure that would prevent the debt from continually accumulating.

Why Universal Metering Matters

Another major part of the reform is metering.The government says it wants electricity consumers to pay for the power they actually use rather than continue relying on estimated bills.

Tegbe has therefore identified universal metering as a central part of the sector reset. The Federal Government has also launched the Power Force initiative, which is expected to engage 5,000 Nigerian youths in meter installation while giving them technical training.

The objective is straightforward: reduce estimated billing, improve transparency and ensure that consumers and electricity companies have a clearer picture of actual consumption.

Generation Alone Will Not Solve the Problem

Tegbe has also acknowledged that producing more electricity is only one part of Nigeria’s power problem. He said Nigeria had consistently generated around 5,000 megawatts over a two-week period in July, but stressed that generation gains would mean little if transmission and distribution remained weak.

That is why the government is also pursuing a technical audit of the national transmission network, investments in major transmission corridors and a proposed Super Grid Programme to strengthen the national electricity backbone.

The Federal Ministry of Power has separately announced a technical working committee on grid stabilisation, with a focus on ageing infrastructure, transmission bottlenecks, grid redundancy and modern monitoring systems.

Then Comes the Problem of Vandalism

While government works on infrastructure, Tegbe says another problem continues to undermine the system: vandalism and energy theft.

On Wednesday, he disclosed that three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi had been brought down by vandals after their foundations were attacked.

Parts of the structures were reportedly cut up for sale as scrap..

The minister has also sought the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in tackling vandalism and electricity theft.

According to him, companies and other electricity consumers that receive power without paying their bills are costing the sector billions of naira annually.

He said the Ministry of Power needed stronger cooperation with law-enforcement agencies because it does not have the statutory power to prosecute offenders directly.

Solar Power Enters the Mix

The latest comments came at the commissioning of a solar hybrid electricity project at Yakubu Gowon University.

The project combines a 3.3MW solar array with 3MW AC output capacity and battery storage, with facilities covering lecture halls, laboratories, ICT centres, administrative buildings and campus lighting.

More than 58,726 students are expected to benefit, while the project contains 6,078 photovoltaic panels and 388 streetlights.

The implementation also reportedly created 3,201 jobs. The battery system can also be expanded to cover additional parts of the university, including student hostels.

For a country that has lived through decades of unreliable electricity, the real test of these reforms will not be another promise or another megawatt figure.

It will be whether improved supply can become dependable service, whether consumers can understand and afford their bills, whether vulnerable households are protected, whether the grid can withstand vandalism and technical failures, and whether the sector can finally stop accumulating debts.

Tegbe had promised during his Senate screening that Nigerians would begin seeing noticeable improvements within three to six months.

His latest account suggests that some communities are already seeing a difference, but the broader reform agenda will take much longer to judge.

The freezer joke may be amusing, but the larger question is serious: can Nigeria turn occasional improvements in electricity supply into a stable, financially sustainable system that households and industries can actually plan around?

That is ultimately where the success or failure of the power reforms will be measured, ValidViewNetwork reports.