Peter Obi has lamented Nigeria’s continued inability to fix its energy sector

Politics

… attributes this to a lack of strong political willpower

By Antonius Isibor

PETER Obi has expressed his anguish over the manner in which Nigeria; Africa’s giant has failed to solve its electricity problems, while other African countries continue to achieve milestones in the sector.

Obi, who made the claim on Friday through his official Twitter account @peterObi in response to Tanzania’s recent decision to close five hydropower stations to reduce excess electricity in the national grid, wondered why Nigeria has failed to establish one to supply electricity to some city.

According to him, Tanzania’s decision to close these power stations stemmed from the fact that their electricity production was already sufficient to power their major cities and provide electricity access to rural residents.

He explained that a World Bank report showed that strong political will and commitment have been responsible for rapid access to electricity in Tanzania, where access to electricity has increased from 7% in 2011 to almost 40% (37, 7%) in 2020. 75% (73.2%) of urban residents gained access to electricity and about 25% (24.5%) of rural areas gained access to electricity.

He further cited a similar report from June 2023 which showed that about 70 percent of the 40 million Tanzanians living in rural areas have gained access to electricity, marking monumental growth in the sector, while the situation in Nigeria unfortunately remains the opposite is.

According to him, 60% of Nigeria’s more than 200 million people live without access to electricity, citing a 2022 Energy Progress Report.

Given the economic loss resulting from the lack of access to electricity in Nigeria, which remains immeasurable, and with the recent increase in electricity tariffs, one would expect that we would soon be able to power at least one major city in each geopolitical zone. increasing our overall access, both in urban and rural areas,

Obi therefore called on the government to remediate and save the sector for the good of the nation, nothing that if “Tanzania could achieve such a milestone in power generation, Nigeria could do even better.

with competent and committed leadership.

“A stable energy sector is critical to the journey towards a New Nigeria, to which we remain committed,” he added.

Keywords: Peter Obi