- Safiu Kehinde
Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 Presidential candidate, Peter Obi has labelled the recent power grid collapse as a national shame and failure of Nigeria’s leadership.
Obi had, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, condemned the government over the incessant collapse of the the national grid.
He said the government have failed to prioritize the welfare and economic well-being of the people.
While stressing on the importance of power to a country’s economy, the former Anambra state governor, attributed Nigeria’s drop to fourth largest economy in Africa to the constant power failure.
According to him, Nigeria, despite it large population, which supersedes the top three largest economy in Africa- South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria, only generate 10,000 Mlmegawatts.
This, Obi claimed is below the par as compared to South Africa’s 40,000 megawatts, Egypt’s 40,000 megawatts, and Algeria’s 50,000 megawatts.
Obi, however, called for comprehensive reform, stressing that Nigerians deserve a government that prioritizes measurable indices of development.
The post read; “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.
“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.
“This disparity in power generation is a reflection of the deep-rooted governance deficit that continue to hold back our growth and potential.
“It is time for urgent, comprehensive reform. Nigerians deserve a government that prioritizes measurable indices of development.”