National Grid Failure Leaves Nation in Darkness; Obi Highlights Power Capacity Concerns

A major collapse of the national electricity grid on Friday plunged households and businesses across Nigeria into darkness, reigniting concerns over the country’s persistent power challenges.

Generation output plummeted from over 4,500 megawatts to as low as 24 MW by early afternoon, leading to a complete loss of supply from all 23 connected power plants. The nation’s 11 distribution companies reportedly received zero allocations during the incident.

In response, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi described the grid failure as part of a “deepening national crisis.” Noting that similar collapses occurred in January of the previous year, Obi stated the event marks a continued setback for the sector.

Obi pointed to Nigeria’s consistently low global ranking in electricity access, citing that nearly 100 million citizens remain without reliable power. He highlighted a comparison with other African nations, noting that South Africa and Egypt each generate over 40,000 megawatts, and Algeria exceeds 50,000 megawatts.

“In contrast,” he stated, “Nigeria, with a population of over 240 million, produces a mere 5,000 megawatts a figure that severely constrains national productivity.” He attributed the ongoing crisis to governance and leadership failures within the sector.

Looking forward, Obi emphasized the need for competent leadership, urging Nigerians to consider capability and commitment in future electoral decisions to enable a turnaround in essential services.

The national grid has since begun a restoration process, with operators working to reinstate normal supply.