Peter Obi: It’s impossible to give Nigerians 24-hour electricity in four years

Peter Obi has said it would be impossible to guarantee 24-hour electricity supply to every Nigerian within four years, arguing that the country’s power infrastructure requires more time to build, even as he pledged to significantly increase electricity generation, transmission and distribution if elected president.

Obi made the remarks on Sunday, July 26, during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, where he outlined his plans for reforming Nigeria’s electricity sector.

The former Anambra State governor, who is vying for Nigeria’s presidency, has consistently maintained that he would serve only a single four-year term if elected, saying his administration would focus on laying the foundation for long-term economic transformation.

What he’s saying

Obi said it would be unrealistic to promise uninterrupted electricity across the country within the four years of his proposed single term, noting that building critical power infrastructure takes several years.

• “24-hour electricity within 4 years is impossible. If you want to build a power plant, it takes about 4 years. Improving transmission lines also takes years.”

Rather than making what he described as unrealistic promises, Obi said his administration would focus on raising the country’s electricity output by ensuring Nigeria can generate, transmit and distribute at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity.

• “But within 4 years, we will ensure we can generate, transmit, and distribute not less than 10,000 Megawatts.”

He said this would be achieved through embedded power projects by replicating successful private-sector electricity models across different parts of the country.

According to Obi, the model deployed by Geometric Power in Aba demonstrates how decentralised electricity generation can support industrial clusters and should be expanded to other states.

• “We will do it through embedded power. Look at what Geometric Power is doing in Aba—we need to replicate that in locations like Kano to drive the industries in Bompai and Sharada.”

Obi also said the Federal Government must clear the trillions of naira owed to electricity generation companies, arguing that restoring confidence in the sector is critical to attracting investment.

• “Today, the government owes generating companies trillions of Naira. We must pay them. Our politics must change; if I don’t deliver what I promise, I will come out and explain to the people what is going wrong.”

More insights

Nigeria’s electricity sector continues to struggle with inadequate generation, weak transmission infrastructure and chronic funding challenges despite years of reforms.

• According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) January 2026 Operational Performance Factsheet, Nigeria has an installed generation capacity of 13,625 megawatts, but only an average of 4,901 megawatts was available for dispatch during the month, representing a Plant Availability Factor of 36%. On average, about 4,421 megawatts of electricity was dispatched and consumed, highlighting strong demand amid limited supply.
• The sector is also weighed down by mounting debts, with the Federal Government owing power generation companies (GenCos) about N6.8 trillion, a situation industry operators have repeatedly warned is threatening the financial sustainability of the electricity value chain.

Grid reliability remains another major concern. Nigeria has experienced two national grid collapses this year, once again exposing the fragility of the country’s transmission network and disrupting electricity supply to millions of homes and businesses.

Despite being Africa’s largest economy, about 86 million Nigerians still lack access to electricity, making the country home to one of the world’s largest electricity access deficits.

What you should know

Nigeria’s electricity market has entered a new phase following the constitutional and legislative reforms that empowered states to regulate electricity within their territories.

• Since the enactment of the Electricity Act, about 15 states have established or are in the process of establishing their own electricity regulatory agencies as they seek to attract investment into power generation, transmission and distribution.
• International development partners are also stepping up efforts to close Nigeria’s electricity access gap. Under the Mission 300 initiative, the World Bank said in early February that the programme aims to provide household electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians, while supporting job creation, private sector investment and broader economic development.

Private investors are equally expanding their footprint in the sector. In June, WeLight, Africa’s largest solar mini-grid operator, announced it had raised $31 million to accelerate its expansion into Nigeria as part of plans to deepen electricity access across some of the continent’s most underserved communities.