Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and Labour Party’s presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, expressed frustration over the country’s ongoing issues with power stability. He pointed out that the repeated failures of the national grid have left millions in darkness, making such blackouts an unfortunate norm in Nigeria.
On Tuesday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported a new grid failure at approximately 1:52 p.m. This blackout, which impacted much of the country, occurred barely three weeks after a similar incident. TCN attributed the collapse to “a series of lines and generators trippings.” This ongoing instability has raised public concerns about the reliability of Nigeria’s power infrastructure and its impact on daily life and economic progress.
Reacting to the blackout, Obi highlighted the stark contrast between Nigeria and other nations facing fewer challenges. He compared Nigeria’s energy situation to South Africa, which, despite having a quarter of Nigeria’s population, recently marked seven consecutive months of uninterrupted power supply. Obi pointed out that while South Africa generates around 40,000 megawatts, Nigeria struggles to produce just 10% of that amount.
Obi condemned the tendency of some to label his concerns about electricity distribution as rooted in tribal or religious bias. He emphasized that the problem affects all Nigerians equally, saying, “South Africa generates and distributes about 40,000 MW of electricity, while Nigeria struggles to generate and distribute just 10% of that. Yet, despite this stark disparity, Nigerians continue to endure daily power outages.
“And when I ask the question: is there any tribe in Nigeria that enjoys uninterrupted power supply like South Africa? I am labelled a tribal bigot.
“When I ask if any religion enjoys special privileges in this crisis, I am called a religious bigot. But I will continue to speak the truth about our situation today.
“The fact remains that we are all suffering equally from this failure. The solution lies not in tribal or religious affiliations but in visionary leadership and a shared commitment to progress.
“We must set aside these primordial sentiments and elect leaders who are competent, capable, and have the vision to transform our nation from a consumer-driven economy to a productive one by investing our meager resources in critical areas of development like health and education, lifting our people out of poverty, and ensuring increased electricity production and distribution”.
