The Labour Party candidate for the 2023 Presidential election, Peter Obi has described the constant collapse of the national grid as a national disgrace that exposes the weakness of power infrastructure in Nigeria.
The former governor expressed his dissatisfaction on his X handle on Tuesday following the announcement of the national grid collapse by the Electricity distribution companies, DisCos, barely 24 hours after a similar collapse took place on Monday causing a total blackout across the country.
He stated that the development was a result of poor leadership and neglect of citizens’ welfare which should be prioritised to achieve a productive society.
“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 prioritise the welfare and economic well-being of the people,” Peter Obi lamented
Peter Obi while expressing his disappointment highlighted that the constant collapse of power supply which is the major support to small businesses that contributes to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) has crippled the country’s chance of maintaining the fourth position as Africa’s largest economy.
To further buttress his point, he compared Nigeria with South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria stating that these countries have been able to generate more megawatts of electricity without experiencing power failure while Nigeria still struggles with less than 10,000 megawatts and constant collapse.
“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.
“Secondly, Egypt, the second largest economy with a GDP of about $350 billion and half of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts.
“Algeria, the third largest economy, with about 300B GDP and 20% of our population, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts of electricity.
“Nigeria, with less GDP but with more population than the 3 countries combined, generates and distributes less than 10,000 megawatts, and even that is riddled with frequent collapses and crises of failure,” the post read.
However, he called for a government that prioritises policies that would foster development.
“It is time for urgent, comprehensive reform. Nigerians deserve a government that prioritises measurable indices of development,” he concluded.