Olusegun Ariyo
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised the repeated collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, describing it as a national disgrace and evidence of long-standing leadership failure.
In a post on his official X handle on Saturday, Obi noted that after multiple grid collapses in 2025, January 2026 has again begun with another system failure.
He described the development as a recurring embarrassment for the country.
Obi also decried Nigeria’s poor electricity access, noting that from 2023 to 2025, the country ranked lowest globally in access to power, with nearly 100 million Nigerians without electricity.
“It is utterly disappointing that our nation continues to rank lowest in electricity access, leaving millions in darkness,” he said.
Comparing Nigeria with other African countries, Obi pointed out that South Africa, Egypt and Algeria each generate over 40,000 megawatts, while Nigeria, with a population of over 240 million, produces only about 5,000 megawatts, a situation he said severely limits productivity.
According to him, the ongoing power crisis is the result of ineffective leadership.
“This power crisis is a direct result of continuous leadership failures,” Obi stated.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Obi urged Nigerians to choose leaders based on competence and empathy, stressing that meaningful national progress depends on capable leadership.
“It is time to elect individuals with the capacity and dedication to turn our country around,” he added.
