Peter Obi Reacts As Power Outage, Petrol Price Hike Lingers Across Nigeria

The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed that the ongoing power outages affecting numerous regions in Nigeria, coupled with the high prices of petroleum products, could drive many entrepreneurs out of business and exacerbate poverty levels among the populace.

Several Northern states have been experiencing prolonged blackouts due to the vandalism of the Shiroro-Mando transmission line. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that efforts are underway to restore electricity.

In a recent post on his official X handle, the former governor of Anambra State highlighted that the persistent power outages across various parts of the nation are a significant source of concern.

“The negative impact of the continued power outage on businesses, especially small businesses, who depend primarily on public power supply to sustain their businesses as a means of livelihood, is unimaginable.

“This power crisis, when combined with the present high cost of petroleum products and a harsh operating environment, remains a lethal recipe for widespread business failure and increasing poverty in the country,” Peter Obi said.

He said solving Nigeria’s power and energy crisis is not rocket science as many of Nigeria’s peer nations have demonstrated the possibility of sustainable power for their citizens.

“Our African neighbour, Egypt, for example, invested aggressively in their power sector, which resulted in the establishment of a sustainable power infrastructure by way of many power stations.

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“Today, Egypt has revolutionized power and energy production in the country, providing sustainable power to millions of small businesses, which account for over 90% of active enterprises in the country and contribute to over 80 per cent of their GD,” he said.

Obi appealed to President Bola Tinubu’s government to act swiftly and provide immediate and long-term solutions to the challenge.