Peter Obi: Why can’t Nigeria match South Africa’s power reliability?

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the recurring power outages in Nigeria, comparing the country’s situation to South Africa, which has enjoyed months of uninterrupted power supply.

Obi, in a statement released on Wednesday, expressed frustration over the frequent power outages, stating, “Just a few days ago, South Africa, with a quarter of our population, celebrated seven months of uninterrupted power supply. Yet, despite this stark disparity, Nigerians continue to endure daily power outages.

“South Africa generates and distributes about 40,000 MW of electricity, while Nigeria struggles to generate and distribute just 10% of that. Yet, despite this stark disparity, Nigerians continue to endure daily power outages.

“And when I ask the question: is there any tribe in Nigeria that enjoys uninterrupted power supply like South Africa? I am labelled a tribal bigot. When I ask if any religion enjoys special privileges in this crisis, I am called a religious bigot. But I will continue to speak the truth about our situation today.”

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He questioned the lack of progress in Nigeria’s power sector, despite having a larger population and resources. Obi pointed out that the issue is not a matter of tribe or religion but a failure of leadership and governance.

“The solution lies not in tribal or religious affiliations but in visionary leadership and a shared commitment to progress,” he stated.

Obi emphasized the need for competent and capable leaders who can drive economic growth and improve the lives of Nigerians. He called for increased investment in critical sectors like health and education, and a focus on transitioning Nigeria from a consumer-driven economy to a productive one.

“We must set aside these primordial sentiments and elect leaders who are competent, capable, and have the vision to transform our nation from a consumer-driven economy to a productive one by investing our meager resources in critical areas of development like health and education, lifting our people out of poverty, and ensuring increased electricity production and distribution.

“A new Nigeria is possible!” Obi concluded, expressing hope for a future where Nigerians can enjoy reliable power supply and a better quality of life.

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