Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has sharply criticised Nigeria’s persistent electricity crisis following the collapse of the national grid in January 2026, describing it as a continuation of a long-running national failure.
In a statement posted on his official X handle on Saturday, Obi recalled that the first grid collapse of 2025 occurred in January and was followed by several others throughout the year, warning that the latest incident shows Nigeria has entered 2026 on a familiar and troubling path.
“It is utterly disappointing that for three consecutive years—from 2023 to 2025—our nation has been ranked as having the least access to electricity globally, with nearly 100 million citizens left without power,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor compared Nigeria’s electricity output with that of other African countries, highlighting what he described as a stark and embarrassing disparity. He noted that South Africa, with a population of about 64 million people, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts of electricity, while Egypt, with roughly 115 million people, also produces more than 40,000 megawatts.
Obi added that Algeria, with a population of about 48 million, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts. In contrast, Nigeria—Africa’s most populous nation with over 240 million people—produces only about 5,000 megawatts.
“This absurdly low figure severely hampers our productivity,” he said, describing the situation as unacceptable for a country that prides itself as the “giant of Africa.”
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According to Obi, the lingering power crisis is a direct consequence of leadership failures, stressing that the electricity sector is too critical to be managed without competence, commitment, and long-term vision.
As the country looks ahead to the 2027 general elections, he urged Nigerians to prioritise competence and empathy in leadership, insisting that meaningful progress can only be achieved by electing leaders capable of delivering real reform.
“Anything less is unacceptable,” Obi said, reaffirming his long-standing message that “a new Nigeria is possible.”