Peter Obi Calls Nigeria’s Repeated Grid Collapses a "National Shame"

Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential candidate in the recent election, has called the repeated collapse of Nigeria's electricity grid a "national shame." On Tuesday, the grid failed again at 9:17 a.m., plunging numerous cities into darkness as power generation plummeted.

In a statement shared on his X account, Obi criticized the incident, citing it as a reflection of poor leadership and ineffective policy implementation. He urged for more decisive action to address the nation’s ongoing power crisis.

"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.

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.

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, which is critical when compared to smaller economies.

South Africa, which is now the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $400 billion and 30% of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts of electricity," he said. 

See post:

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… — Peter Obi (@PeterObi) October 15, 2024