Nigeria Already Has 13,500MW Capacity — Onanuga Replies Obi
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised the recent promise by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, to increase Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution capacity by at least 10,000 megawatts within four years if elected president in 2027.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Onanuga said Obi’s pledge showed a misunderstanding of the country’s current power infrastructure, noting that Nigeria already has an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,500 megawatts.
According to him, the major problems confronting the power sector are not generation capacity but structural challenges such as inadequate gas supply, huge debts owed to gas suppliers, and weaknesses in the national transmission grid.
“What people don’t know, and which unfortunately Peter Obi did not know when he came and said he’s going to generate 10,000 megawatts, is that we already have in Nigeria installed capacity of 13,500 megawatts,” Onanuga said.
He explained that many power plants were unable to function effectively because of gas shortages and legacy debts running into trillions of naira.
“What are the problems? No gas. The players in the sector owe the gas companies’ legacy debt of over N4tn, which has become the problem of this administration, and it is trying to clear it,” he added.
Onanuga further stated that President Bola Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to reforming the electricity sector shortly after assuming office by signing the Electricity Act into law.
According to him, the law grants states the authority to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity independently, thereby opening up the sector for greater competition and investment.
“To show that he meant business, the first thing he did when he came to office was sign the Electricity Act, which enables states to generate power, transmit power, and distribute power,” he said.
He noted that several states had already begun taking advantage of the opportunities created by the new legal framework, while others were expected to follow.
The presidential spokesman also claimed that power generation had improved under the current administration compared to the level inherited in May 2023.
He, however, acknowledged that the national transmission grid remained a major obstacle to a stable electricity supply across the country.
“The grid is outdated,” Onanuga stated. He added that the Federal Government had initiated reforms aimed at modernising critical infrastructure in the power sector, including plans for a Grid Asset Management Company Limited.
His comments come amid renewed debate over Nigeria’s electricity challenges following Obi’s recent pledge to add at least 10,000 megawatts to the country’s power generation and distribution capacity within four years if elected president.
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