Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has expressed deep concerns over the recent collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, which left many parts of the country in darkness.
The grid failure occurred on Monday evening at around 6:18 p.m., causing power generation to drop from 3.87 gigawatts to zero by 7 p.m.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the collapse affected several areas.
Reacting to this, Peter Obi described the grid collapse as a “national shame” and pointed to it as a sign of weak leadership and poor policy implementation.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Obi said, “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.”
He continued, “This recurring disaster is a national shame and a glaring testament to the failure of leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels.”
Obi also emphasized how the unreliable power supply is holding back Nigeria’s economic growth, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
He stated, “How long must Nigerians endure a system that fails to provide one of the critical necessities for a productive society?”
“The 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 added.
He stressed the importance of power supply for economic transformation, especially for SMEs, which he called the “engine of job creation and a major contributor to our GDP.”
Obi further highlighted the gap between Nigeria’s power generation and that of other African countries like South Africa and Egypt, despite Nigeria having a larger population. He noted, “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.”
He called for urgent reforms in the power sector, stating, “Nigerians deserve a government that prioritises measurable indices of development.”
