In a recent post on X, former presidential candidate Peter Obi drew attention to the perceived poor performance of the current administration, specifically addressing its failure to deliver on a key campaign promise regarding electricity. He quoted President Tinubu’s statement from December 2022: “If I Don’t Give You Constant Electricity in The Next 4 Years, Don’t Vote For Me For Second Term.”
Obi noted that it is difficult for Nigerians to forget this promise, especially since the country already has one of the highest rates of people living without electricity in the world. He pointed out that despite substantial investments in the power sector, the current government has overseen a record number of national grid failures and power outages.
He also highlighted the disparity between Nigeria and other nations. While countries like Vietnam, Egypt, and Bangladesh have significantly increased their electricity generation and distribution, Nigeria has seen minimal progress, moving from 4,500MW to only 5,000MW.
Obi argued that a significant boost in electricity generation could be a game-changer for Nigeria’s economy. He suggested that generating at least 10,000MW could increase the GDP by 50%, stimulate industrial growth, and create millions of jobs. He lamented that the government’s focus seems to be on projects with less economic impact, like coastal roads, while factories close and businesses struggle to survive.
He concluded by urging the President to prioritize generating and distributing more electricity to power businesses, especially SMEs, which are vital for job creation and economic growth.
