The Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Peter Obi has branded the recurring collapse of the national grid a great shame.
Obi in a statement on his official X account on Tuesday lamented that 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,” he said.
“How long must Nigerians endure a system that fails to provide one of the critical necessities for a productive society?
“This latest power grid collapse is emblematic of a leadership and government that have consistently failed to prioritize 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.”
Obi lamented that today, Nigeria is 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, which is critical when compared to smaller economies.
According to him, South Africa, which is now the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $400 billion and 30% of Nigeria’s population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts of electricity.
He said secondly, Egypt, the second largest economy with a GDP of about $350 billion and half of Nigeria’s population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts.
Obi stated that Algeria, the third largest economy, with about 300B GDP and 20% of Nigeria’s population, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts of electricity.
He, however, lamented that Nigeria, with less GDP but with more population than the three countries combined, generates and distributes less than 10,000 megawatts, and even that is riddled with frequent collapses and crises of failure.
The former governor of Anambra State added that this disparity in power generation is a reflection of the deep-rooted governance deficit that continue to hold back our growth and potential.
“It is time for urgent, comprehensive reform. Nigerians deserve a government that prioritizes measurable indices of development. A new Nigeria is POssible,” Obi said.
