By Ihechi Enyinnaya
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed deep concern over the recent collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, which has left many parts of the country in darkness, calling for urgent power sector reforms.
The first grid collapse reportedly occured on Monday evening while the second collapse occured on Tuesday.
Writing on his official X account, Obi condemned the development, calling it a national embarrassment.
He said the grid failure as a clear sign of poor leadership and inadequate policy execution at the highest levels of government.
“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.
“This recurring disaster is a national shame and a glaring testament to the failure of leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels.,” Obi stated.
He emphasised that the repeated failures of the power system are major obstacle to the nation’s growth and economic stability.
He said: “How long must Nigerians endure a system that fails to provide one of the critical necessities for
“This 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.
“We all know the immense importance of power supply to the transformation of our economy. Its support to SMEs, which are the engine of job creation and a major contributor to our GDP, is immeasurable.”
He argued that the lack of consistent power hinders the productivity and growth potential of Nigerian businesses.
Obi also criticised the disparity between Nigeria’s power generation capacity and that of other African nations.
Obi highlighted the differences between Nigeria and economies like South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria.
“Today, 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.
“The disparity in power generation is a reflection of the deep-rooted governance deficit that continues to hold back our growth and potential,” Obi added, stressing that Nigeria, despite its larger population, generates significantly less electricity compared to smaller economies.
Obi called for urgent, comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s power sector and urged the government to focus on initiatives that can drive measurable development.
“Nigerians deserve a government that prioritises measurable indices of development,” he added.