Former Governor of Anambra State and candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential poll, Mr. Peter Obi, has condemned the incessant system breakdown of Nigeria’s national power grid describing it as a disaster and national shame.
For the second time within 24 hours, and the sixth time in 2024, the national grid had crashed Tuesday morning, leaving many homes in total darkness, and countless businesses paralysed.
In a statement he posted on X on Tuesday, Obi critically appraised the sad situation, describing it as symptomatic of failure in leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels.
He wrote: “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.
The Labour Party stalwart underscored the repeated crash of the grid as a formidable hurdle to national development, growth and stability, declaring that the situation, and the power sector in general, needed substantial reforms.
Highlighting the economic impact of unreliable power supply, particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Obi declared: “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 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.”
The former Anambra Governor argued that the lack of consistent power hinders the productivity and stunts the growth potential of Nigerian businesses.
He condemned the gaping disparity between Nigeria’s power generation capacity and that of other African nations, pointing the huge differences between Nigeria and economies like South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria.
“Today,” he continued, “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,” adding that despite her obviously larger population, Nigeria still generates significantly less electricity compared to smaller economies.
He then called for a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s power sector advising the administration to focus on initiatives that can drive measurable development.
“Nigerians deserve a government that prioritises measurable indices of development,” he concluded.
In the time being, many electricity consumers in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have decried the incessant grid collapses, describing them as an embarrassment to the country, the he News Agency of Nigeria has reported.
The agency, however, reported that power was restored to some parts of the country on Tuesday. Consumers residing in Kubwa, Lugbe, Kuje, and the surrounding areas told NAN that it was time the Federal Government found a lasting solution to the persistent grid collapses.
Mrs Eniola Oluseyi, a resident of Kubwa, described the frequent grid collapses as embarrassing and urged the government to find a way to resolve the issue.
Oluseyi said, “Every time we experience a blackout or grid collapse, it is embarrassing for consumers.”
“Government should find a way to put an end to these collapses or blackouts to prevent future occurrences,” she said.
Mr Chibuzor Okoye, a resident of Lugbe, said it was disheartening to hear about grid collapses or system failures repeatedly, adding that it does not reflect well on the country.
Okoye stated that the government should implement the right measures to prevent future occurrences, as this situation is not good for the nation’s reputation.
Mrs Priscilla Akpan, also residing in Lugbe, said that it was detrimental for the grid to collapse so often, leaving Nigerians in darkness.
“This is unacceptable for a country where a significant amount of money is spent on the power sector, yet there is no improvement,” she said.
Another consumer, Mr Usman Aliyu, a resident of Kuje, said that with the substantial sums of money being allocated to the power sector, grid collapses should not be happening.
According to him, a large amount of money is allocated to the power sector, so those responsible for maintaining the grid should identify the cause of the frequent collapses and address it.