Obi Condemns Fresh National Grid Collapse, Says Nigeria’s Power Output Alarmingly Low

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the latest collapse of Nigeria’s national electricity grid, describing it as evidence of a deepening national emergency in the power sector.

The national grid collapsed on Friday, causing electricity generation to plunge from over 4,500 megawatts to as low as 24 megawatts by about 1:30 p.m. The outage disrupted power supply nationwide, leaving millions of homes and businesses without electricity.

Reports indicated that all 23 power plants connected to the grid lost output during the incident, resulting in zero power allocation to the country’s 11 electricity distribution companies.

Reacting in a statement posted on X on Saturday titled “2026: The Collapse Continues,” Obi said the incident mirrored a troubling pattern observed in the previous year. He recalled that the first grid collapse of 2025 also occurred in January and was followed by multiple breakdowns.

“In January 2025, we witnessed the first grid collapse of that year, which was followed by several other collapses. Now in January 2026, the national shame has commenced again with yesterday’s collapse,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor noted that Nigeria’s electricity situation remains among the worst globally, with millions of citizens still lacking access to power.

“It is utterly disappointing that for three consecutive years, from 2023 to 2025, our country has been ranked as having the least access to electricity in the world, leaving nearly 100 million Nigerians without power,” he stated.

Obi compared Nigeria’s power generation capacity with that of other African countries, describing the disparity as alarming given Nigeria’s population and economic potential.

“South Africa, with a population of about 64 million, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts. Egypt, with roughly 115 million people, also produces over 40,000 megawatts. Algeria, with around 48 million people, generates more than 50,000 megawatts,” he said.

“Meanwhile, Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa with over 240 million people, produces barely 5,000 megawatts. This absurdly low output severely limits productivity and national development.”

Obi attributed the persistent power failures to leadership shortcomings, stressing that the electricity sector requires competence and commitment to function effectively.

“This power crisis is a direct consequence of continuous leadership failure. The power sector is too critical to be managed without competence and dedication,” he said.

Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Obi urged Nigerians to prioritise competence and compassion in leadership choices, arguing that the country needs leaders capable of delivering meaningful change.

“As we approach 2027, Nigerians must insist on competence and empathy in leadership. We need leaders with the capacity and commitment to drive a genuine turnaround for our nation. Anything less is unacceptable,” he added.