Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has reignited debate on Nigeria’s electricity crisis, reminding citizens of a campaign promise once made by the current administration.
In a statement shared on his X handle, Obi recalled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration during the 2022 campaigns: “If I don’t give you constant electricity in the next four years, don’t vote for me for a second term.”
According to Obi, Nigerians cannot forget such a bold assurance, particularly in a nation that still has the world’s largest population without reliable electricity. He lamented that despite billions of dollars invested in the sector, Nigeria continues to witness national grid collapses, worsening blackouts, and minimal improvements in supply.
As Nigeria’s power sector continues to collapse under Tinubu’s administration, Obi compared the country’s stagnation with other developing nations. He noted that while Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, and Bangladesh have successfully expanded electricity generation by tens of thousands of megawatts driving industrial growth and lifting their GDP Nigeria has barely shifted from 4,500MW to 5,000MW.
Obi stressed that Nigeria, with its GDP of about $200 billion, has the potential to unlock enormous economic growth if it generates at least 10,000MW of electricity. Such progress, he argued, would stimulate industrialization, revive factories, create millions of jobs, and enhance small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).
Instead, Obi criticized the government’s focus on projects like coastal roads, which he said contribute far less to economic development, while industries shut down and citizens remain in darkness.
Calling for urgent action, Obi urged the government to prioritize energy generation and distribution as the backbone of national growth:
“Mr. President, it is time to focus on powering businesses, especially SMEs, which create jobs and grow the economy. A new Nigeria is possible.”
