Former presidential candidate for the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has condemned the latest collapse of the national power grid, labelling the incident as a continuation of a worsening national crisis.
The national electricity grid went down on Friday, with generation plummeting sharply from over 4,500 megawatts to as low as 24 MW by around 1:30 pm.
This left households and businesses throughout the country in darkness and disrupted supply for millions of consumers.
All 23 power plants connected to the grid reportedly lost output during the incident, resulting in zero allocation to the nation’s 11 distribution companies.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday titled “2026: The Collapse Continues,” Obi noted that the grid failure experienced in January 2026 mirrored events from the previous year, when the first collapse of 2025 also occurred in January, followed by several others.
“In January 2025, we witnessed the first grid collapse of that year, which was succeeded by multiple other failures. Now, in January 2026, the national disgrace has begun with yesterday’s collapse,” he stated.
Obi expressed concern over Nigeria’s poor electricity access, highlighting that the country has remained at the bottom of global rankings for three consecutive years.
“It is utterly disappointing that for three years running—from 2023 to 2025—our nation has been ranked as having the least access to electricity globally, leaving nearly 100 million citizens without power,” he said.
The former governor of Anambra State compared Nigeria’s power generation capacity with that of other African nations, describing the disparity as alarming.
“When we compare our situation to other African countries, the difference is stark. South Africa, with a population of about 64 million, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts. Egypt, with around 115 million people, also generates over 40,000 megawatts. Algeria, with approximately 48 million people, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts.
“Meanwhile, Nigeria, the giant of Africa and its most populous nation with over 240 million people, produces a mere 5,000 megawatts—an absurdly low figure that severely hinders our productivity,” Obi remarked.
According to Obi, the ongoing power crisis stems from governance failures, emphasising that the sector requires capable leadership to function effectively.
“This power crisis is a direct result of ongoing leadership failures. The power sector is critical and requires competent and dedicated leadership to thrive,” he stated.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Obi urged Nigerians to make leadership choices based on competence and compassion.
“As we approach 2027, Nigeria must prioritise competence and empathy in its leadership. It is time to elect individuals with the capability and commitment necessary to bring about significant change for our nation. Anything less is unacceptable,” he concluded.
