RismadarVoice Reporters | January 24, 2026
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has criticized the latest collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, describing it as a continuation of a deepening national crisis driven by leadership failure.
The national electricity grid collapsed on Friday, with power generation reportedly plunging from over 4,500 megawatts to as low as 24 megawatts by about 1:30p.m., throwing households and businesses across the country into darkness.
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 his X handle on Saturday, titled “2026: The Collapse Continues”, Obi said the latest grid failure mirrored similar incidents recorded in January 2025, which were followed by multiple collapses throughout the year.
“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 with yesterday’s collapse,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State Governor lamented Nigeria’s poor electricity access, noting that the country had ranked lowest globally in power access for three consecutive years.
“It is utterly disappointing that for three consecutive years, from 2023 to 2025, our nation has been ranked as having the least access to electricity globally, with nearly 100 million citizens left without power,” he said.
Obi compared Nigeria’s power generation capacity with that of other African countries, describing the disparity as alarming.
“South Africa, with a population of about 64 million, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts. Egypt, with about 115 million people, also generates over 40,000 megawatts. Algeria, with around 48 million people, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts,” he said.
“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 hampers our productivity.”
According to Obi, the persistent power crisis is rooted in governance failures, stressing that the electricity sector requires competent leadership to function effectively.
“This power crisis is a direct result of continuous leadership failures. The power sector is critical and requires competent and committed leadership to thrive,” he added.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Obi urged Nigerians to prioritize competence and compassion in their choice of leaders.
“It is time to elect individuals with the capacity and dedication necessary to initiate a significant turnaround for our nation. Anything less is unacceptable,” he said.
