Labour Union says Nigeria’s 5,500MW output can’t serve a fraction of the population, demands truth and accountability—not statistical gymnastics.
By IDNN Energy Affairs Desk | April 24, 2025
ABUJA] — The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has unleashed a blistering response to a statement made by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, claiming that over 150 million Nigerians now have access to adequate electricity.
The NLC, in a sharply worded statement on Wednesday, April 23, described the Minister’s claim as “a bad joke,” “statistical gymnastics,” and “a miracle claim unfit for serious governance.”
“This is not how performance is measured,” said Comrade Joe Ajaero, NLC President. “This is a joke carried too far, an insult to Nigerians who live in daily darkness.”
The Numbers Don’t Add Up
Minister Adelabu claimed Nigeria currently generates 5,500 megawatts of power—an amount he said serves approximately 150 million Nigerians.
But the global energy standard, as noted by the NLC, requires 1,000MW per one million people. By that yardstick, Nigeria should be generating at least 150,000MW—not a paltry 5,500MW that fluctuates and frequently collapses.
“Even on our best days, we’ve never hit 6,000MW reliably. This is not a power system. It’s a disaster hidden in metrics,” said the NLC.
12 Years of Privatization, Zero Progress
The NLC traced the current crisis back to the 2013 privatization of the power sector, describing it as a “grand betrayal” that handed national infrastructure to cronies for just ₦400 billion.
More than a decade later, with trillions spent in subsidies and interventions, there’s been no measurable expansion in grid capacity, infrastructure upgrades, or service reliability.
“The same GenCos and DISCOs that failed Nigerians are set to receive over ₦4 trillion—with zero accountability,” the union said.
Tariff Hikes and Exploitation Under Band A, B, and C
The NLC also condemned the recent tariff hikes under the controversial Band A, B, and C classification, branding it as a tool of legalized exploitation.
“While DISCOs have made over ₦700 billion from helpless Nigerians, power remains epileptic and inaccessible. This is not reform—it’s daylight robbery.”
The union warned that the government’s move to sell the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)—the last publicly owned segment of the power value chain—is “a ruse dressed in bureaucratic doublespeak.”
External References
A Thought-Provoking Close: Light as a Right, Not a Luxury
As Nigerians battle constant blackouts, erratic billing, and escalating tariffs, the NLC’s message cuts to the core: Electricity is not a privilege. It is a fundamental right.
In a country still haunted by the failure of its privatization gamble, the burden of broken promises weighs heavily on the working class and rural poor.
The real question is: Can this administration afford to keep spinning power as performance when homes, hospitals, and factories remain in darkness?
GIVE US LIGHT, NOT LIES—because propaganda does not power lives.
