Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, condemned Nigeria's recent power grid collapse as a “national shame.” The grid failure occurred twice within 24 hours, highlighting leadership failures and the urgent need for reforms in the power sector to enhance economic growth and improve citizens’ lives.
Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has voiced his condemnation of the recent failure of Nigeria’s national power grid, which collapsed twice within 24 hours. The first incident occurred on Monday at approximately 6:18 PM, leaving numerous citizens in darkness. This was followed by another grid failure reported by electricity distribution companies on Tuesday, compounding the ongoing crisis.
In a statement on the social media platform X, Obi described the recurring power outages as a “national shame,” attributing the situation to ineffective leadership and poor policy execution at the highest levels of government. He emphasized that this ongoing issue highlights the government’s failure to focus on the needs and economic welfare of its citizens.
Obi stressed the critical role of reliable electricity in fostering a productive society, noting that access to power is essential for the economic transformation of Nigeria, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that play a significant role in job creation and contribute to the nation's GDP. He pointed out that Nigeria's power generation capabilities fall woefully short when compared to other African nations.
“While South Africa and Egypt generate over 40,000 megawatts of electricity for their populations, Nigeria, with a far larger population, produces less than 10,000 megawatts,” he stated. Obi called for immediate and thorough reforms in the power sector, urging the government to prioritize energy infrastructure as a crucial step towards economic recovery and growth.
