Former senator Dino Melaye has criticized the Federal Government over Nigeria’s electricity sector, highlighting persistent blackouts and heavy reliance on private generators 130 years after electricity was first generated in 1896.
In a statement on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Melaye said the crisis is largely due to “poor governance” rather than technical issues.
He noted that Nigeria’s installed generation capacity of about 13,600 megawatts rarely translates into actual supply, with the national grid typically delivering only 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts, leaving millions of households and businesses without reliable electricity.
Melaye highlighted regional disparities, pointing out that South Africa produces over 48,000 megawatts for 60 million people, while Egypt generates around 11,000 megawatts for 110 million people.
“On a good day, Nigeria only moves a fraction of its installed power through the grid. The rest is wasted,” he said.
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The former senator stressed the grid’s fragility. Over the past decade, major outages have occurred several times a year, worsened by vandalism and aging transmission infrastructure. Restoring key plants after a collapse costs billions of naira each time.
Financial strain has compounded the crisis. As of February 2026, generation companies were owed about ₦6.8 trillion, rising by roughly ₦200 billion per month, and expected to reach ₦7 trillion by the end of March 2026. This limits maintenance, reduces output, and discourages investment.
The economic impact is severe. Hundreds of manufacturers have closed or become distressed, thousands of jobs lost, and businesses spent vast sums on backup power without fully meeting demand.
Melaye said recurring outages cost Nigeria roughly $29 billion annually, about 10 percent of GDP.
Despite decades of reforms and privatization, Nigeria’s electricity system remains fragile. Gas supply shortages, aging infrastructure, and financial mismanagement continue to disrupt reliable power.
Melaye called for stronger governance, sustained investment, and decisive reforms to unlock stranded capacity and ensure Nigerians finally enjoy consistent electricity more than a century after electrification began.