Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised fresh concerns about Nigeria’s power sector, describing the country’s electricity generation as disappointing despite decades of development.
Speaking during a recent engagement, Obi reflected on Nigeria’s early achievements in power generation, noting that as far back as the 1960s, the country had already crossed the 1,000 megawatts mark following major investments like the Kainji Dam project.
However, he expressed concern that nearly six decades later, Nigeria still struggles to consistently generate 4,000 megawatts.
“Almost 60 years after, you cannot generate 4,000 megawatts. It’s unacceptable,” he said.
Obi also compared Nigeria’s situation with that of Egypt, highlighting the North African country’s rapid progress in expanding its electricity capacity. According to him, Egypt now generates tens of thousands of megawatts, significantly outpacing Nigeria.
He attributed this gap largely to differences in human capital development, noting that Egypt’s power sector is driven by locally trained professionals.
“All the people I met at power plants were engineers trained in Egyptian universities,” he stated.
The former governor emphasized that Nigeria’s challenges go beyond infrastructure, pointing instead to inadequate investment in education and skill development. He argued that without building local capacity, meaningful progress across critical sectors will remain limited.
He concluded by stressing that sustainable national growth depends on prioritizing education and empowering citizens with the skills needed to drive development.
💬 Reader Question:
Do you agree that Nigeria’s power problem is more about leadership or lack of investment in people?
