By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of Labour Party, has criticised the frequent collapse of Nigeria’s national grid, describing it as a “national shame” and a clear indication of leadership failure.
In a strongly worded statement, Obi expressed his frustration over the latest grid collapse, which has left large parts of the country in darkness and highlighted the fragile state of the nation’s power infrastructure.
“For the umpteenth time, the national grid has collapsed, plunging a huge part of the nation into darkness and exposing the fragility of Nigeria’s power infrastructure. This recurring disaster is a glaring testament to the failure of leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels,” Obi stated in his post on X (formerly Twitter).
Obi lamented the prolonged struggle of Nigerians in coping with the unreliable power supply, noting that the collapse reflects the government’s failure to prioritise the welfare and economic development of the people.
He stressed that reliable electricity is essential for the country’s economic transformation, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are critical for job creation and GDP growth.
“We all know the immense importance of power supply to the transformation of our economy. Its support to SMEs, which are the engine of job creation and a major contributor to our GDP, is immeasurable,” he added.
Comparing Nigeria to other African countries, Obi highlighted the stark disparity in power generation.
He noted that while South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria generate between 40,000 and 50,000 megawatts of electricity with smaller populations, Nigeria generates less than 10,000 megawatts, despite having a larger population than the three countries combined.
He described this disparity as a reflection of deep-rooted governance issues that continue to hinder the nation’s growth.
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Default. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
“Today, we are the fourth largest economy in Africa, having fallen from the number one position due to leadership failure over the years, including the persistent power crisis. It is time for urgent, comprehensive reform. Nigerians deserve a government that prioritises measurable indices of development.”
Obi called for immediate and sweeping reforms to the power sector, emphasising that without reliable electricity, Nigeria’s potential for economic growth would remain limited.
