Obi laments failure of electricity generation in Nigeria, as Tanzania generates excess electricity

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has lamented the failure to generate sufficient electricity in Nigeria while Tanzania, an African country, is generating excess electricity to power the country.

Obi had decried: “in pain, I wondered how our nation, the giant of Africa, could not be able to power even one of the major cities, for example, the capital Abuja, while Tanzania has succeeded in powering all their major cities.”

“Yesterday, I read a report in the Media on how Tanzania, our East African fellow nation,  recently shut down five hydroelectric stations to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.

“Their decision to shut down these power stations stemmed from the fact that their electricity production was already enough to power their major cities and give electricity access to the rural dwellers.

“In pain, I wondered how our nation, the giant of Africa, could not be able to power even one of the major cities, for example, the capital Abuja, while Tanzania has succeeded in powering all their major cities.

“A World Bank report showed how strong political will and commitment have been responsible for rapid electricity access in Tanzania which has seen electricity access move from 7% in 2011 to almost 40% (37.7%) in  2020, during which about 75% (73.2%) of urban dwellers gained access to electricity and about 25% (24.5%) of rural areas gained access to electricity. A similar report, in June 2023, showed that about 70 per cent of 40 million Tanzanians living in rural areas have received access to electricity, signifying a monumental growth in the sector, while regrettably Nigeria’s situation remains the opposite. In Nigeria, 60% of our over 200 million people live without access to electricity, according to a 2022 Energy Progress Report.