Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, told energy ministers, industry leaders and international delegates in Dubai that Africa sits at the centre of global energy security, as geopolitical tensions reshape how countries produce, finance and distribute energy.
Tegbe made the assertion in a keynote address at the opening plenary of the 50th edition of the Middle East Energy 2026 Leadership Summit, where he spoke on “Energy Security and the Effect of Geopolitics”.
Also read: Tegbe unveils 272MW boost for Lagos power grid
The minister argued that energy security can no longer be measured simply by the size of a country’s oil and gas reserves.
Instead, he described it as the resilience of the wider energy system, encompassing critical mineral supply chains, electricity grids, financing and the institutions needed to keep power flowing to households, hospitals and industries during periods of disruption.
Tegbe positioned Nigeria as an important part of that evolving global conversation, pointing to the country’s more than 200 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves and its two-decade record of supplying liquefied natural gas to markets in Europe and Asia.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s Electricity Act of 2023 as a landmark reform of the country’s power sector.
According to Tegbe, the legislation ended the long-standing federal monopoly over electricity generation and distribution arrangements, opening the way for 37 emerging electricity markets across the federation under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The minister said the reform agenda was ultimately about restoring confidence among investors and creating conditions where long-term capital could support Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
“Capital does not flee risk; it flees uncertainty. Investors will price risk all day long; what they cannot price is a rule that changes after the contract is signed,” Tegbe said.
He identified regulatory certainty, contract sanctity and bankable offtake arrangements as central elements of Nigeria’s effort to attract sustainable investment into the power sector.
Tegbe also outlined four broad propositions for delegates at the summit.
He argued that diversification, rather than diplomatic disengagement, provides the strongest form of strategic protection in an increasingly fragmented global energy market.
He further called for electricity grids to receive the same strategic attention historically given to fuel supplies, while stressing that affordability should itself be treated as an energy security concern.
The minister also urged policymakers to ensure that the global energy transition remains orderly and just, taking into account the different economic circumstances and development needs of individual countries.
His argument placed Africa energy security within a wider global context.
Tegbe noted that about 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, while the continent possesses significant mineral resources, abundant solar potential, a young workforce and rapidly growing energy demand.
These factors, he said, mean developments in Africa will increasingly influence energy security and economic planning in major global centres including London, Tokyo, Washington and Dubai.
Rather than limiting African participation in the energy economy to the export of raw resources, Tegbe called for deeper partnerships involving local processing, manufacturing, skills development and patient capital.
Such an approach, he suggested, would allow African countries to capture more value from their natural resources while building stronger domestic industries and more resilient energy systems.
“Nigeria has chosen to build. Africa has chosen to build. And we invite you, in the spirit of this remarkable city and this landmark fiftieth summit, to build with us,” Tegbe told delegates in his closing remarks.
The minister’s intervention comes as governments and energy companies grapple with the consequences of geopolitical tensions, supply-chain vulnerabilities and the competing demands of energy security and decarbonisation.
For developing economies, the challenge is particularly acute. Countries must expand electricity access and industrial capacity while managing affordability and attracting the investment required to modernise ageing infrastructure.
Nigeria’s ongoing power-sector reforms therefore provide an important test of whether regulatory changes can translate into greater investment, improved electricity supply and broader economic opportunity.
Tegbe’s engagements in Dubai will continue through the week, including a ministerial fireside discussion on financing Africa’s power future under the summit’s Africa Spotlight programme.
Also read: Tegbe unveils 272MW boost for Lagos power grid
The discussions are expected to further examine how international capital and African governments can work together to expand reliable electricity access while strengthening the continent’s position in the rapidly changing global energy landscape.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
