Our Reporter, Abuja
Frontline African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized the latest collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, describing it as a continuation of what he termed an ongoing national embarrassment in the power sector.
The national power grid was reported to have collapsed once again on Friday, leaving the entire nation without electricity supply.
In a statement issued on Saturday titled “2026: The Collapse Continues,” Obi lamented that Nigeria recorded another grid collapse in January 2026, following a series of similar incidents in previous years.
“In January 2025, we witnessed the first grid collapse of that year, which was followed by several other collapses. Now in January 2026, the national shame has commenced with yesterday’s collapse,” Obi said.
He expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s persistent poor performance in electricity access, noting that for three consecutive years—between 2023 and 2025—the country ranked among nations with the least access to power globally.
“It is utterly disappointing that nearly 100 million Nigerians are left without electricity,” he stated.
Comparing Nigeria with other African countries, Obi highlighted what he described as a stark disparity in power generation capacity. “South Africa, with about 64 million people, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts. Egypt, with about 115 million people, also generates over 40,000 megawatts. Algeria, with around 48 million people, generates over 50,000 megawatts,” he noted.
“Meanwhile, Nigeria—the giant of Africa and its most populous nation with over 240 million people—produces a mere 5,000 megawatts. This absurdly low figure severely hampers our productivity and economic growth,” he added.
Obi blamed the crisis on what he described as continuous leadership failures, stressing that the power sector requires competence, commitment, and accountability to function effectively.
“This power crisis is a direct result of sustained leadership failures. The power sector is critical and demands competent and committed leadership to thrive,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the ADC presidential hopeful urged Nigerians to prioritize competence and empathy in electing national leaders.
“As we look towards 2027, Nigeria must prioritize competence and empathy in its leadership. It is time to elect individuals with the capacity and dedication necessary to initiate a significant turnaround for our nation. Anything less is unacceptable,” Obi declared.
The latest grid collapse has once again raised concerns among citizens and businesses, many of whom continue to grapple with unreliable power supply and its impact on economic activities.
