Former presidential Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, has voiced his strong concerns over the recent collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, which has once again plunged large parts of the country into darkness.
The national electricity grid collapsed on Monday evening, at approximately 6:18 pm. Power generation, which had been at 3.87 gigawatts by 5 pm, dropped to 3.56 gigawatts by 6 pm.
By 7 pm and 8 pm, generation had fallen to zero, leaving many areas without electricity. The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the collapse in a statement issued on Monday evening.
In response to the incident, Obi expressed his frustrations on Tuesday via a statement on X, describing the power grid failure as a “national shame” and a clear indication of the broader failures in leadership and policy execution at the highest levels of government.
“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,” Obi stated.
“This recurring disaster is a national shame and a glaring testament to the failure of leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels,” he added.
Obi emphasized that such repeated failures are not only a hindrance to Nigeria’s development but also a significant obstacle to the nation’s economic stability and growth. He stressed that the energy sector urgently requires reforms to address the recurring issues with power supply.
“How long must Nigerians endure a system that fails to provide one of the critical necessities for a productive society?” Obi asked rhetorically.
He continued, “This latest power grid collapse is emblematic of a leadership and government that have consistently failed to prioritise the welfare and economic well-being of the people.”
Obi pointed out the critical role that electricity plays in the economic transformation of Nigeria, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, which he described as the “engine of job creation and a major contributor to our GDP.”
“We all know the immense importance of power supply to the transformation of our economy,” Obi said. “Its support to SMEs, which are the engine of job creation and a major contributor to our GDP, is immeasurable.”
The former presidential candidate lamented how the unreliable power supply impedes the productivity and growth potential of Nigerian businesses, calling for an urgent overhaul of the power sector to address these challenges.
Obi also highlighted the significant gap between Nigeria’s power generation capacity and that of other African nations, noting the disparities with economies such as South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria.
“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,” Obi stated. “The disparity in power generation is a reflection of the deep-rooted governance deficit that continues to hold back our growth and potential.”
Despite Nigeria’s much larger population, Obi pointed out that the country generates significantly less electricity compared to smaller economies like South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria, which have more reliable power supply systems.
Concluding his statement, Obi called for comprehensive, urgent reforms in Nigeria’s power sector, urging the government to focus on initiatives that can deliver measurable and tangible development outcomes for the country.
“Nigerians deserve a government that prioritises measurable indices of development,” Obi concluded.