The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has voiced strong dissatisfaction and outrage over the persistent collapse of Nigeria’s national electricity grid under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Following the recent grid failures on October 14 and 15, 2024, HURIWA has called for the immediate removal of Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, citing “gross incompetence” and unfitness for the role.
The latest collapses mark the seventh and eighth grid failures in 2024, plunging millions of Nigerians into darkness and further straining an already fragile economy. The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the outages, which disrupted power supply across numerous states.
Despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Power and various government agencies, HURIWA argues that these collapses have become a norm, worsening the nation’s economic and social challenges. Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, criticized the Ministry of Power as a revolving door for politicians who consistently fail to deliver results, asserting that Adelabu’s tenure has been no different.
“Nigeria has had the misfortune of some of the worst species of politicians posted to the Ministry of Power in the last two decades,” Onwubiko stated. “Most leave office with anti-graft cases, failing to provide the electricity needed for industrial and economic growth.”
Since assuming office in May 2023, President Tinubu’s administration has been marred by recurring power grid failures, with each collapse significantly impacting the nation. HURIWA criticized the President for appointing someone without expertise in power management to this crucial role, emphasizing that electricity is vital for Nigeria’s economic advancement, small and medium-scale enterprises, and infrastructure development.
“We do not understand why President Tinubu considers it useful to have someone who brings nothing to the table as the Minister of Power,” Onwubiko expressed. “Electricity powers economic advancement. It drives small and medium-scale enterprises and is the engine of the nation in terms of infrastructure and capacity building.”
HURIWA highlighted that the government’s justifications for the grid collapses consistently fail to match reality. Explanations of “system disturbance” or infrastructure challenges have been offered without a clear action plan to prevent further failures. The advocacy group pointed out that historically, Nigeria has suffered from frequent power grid failures, but the trend has intensified under President Tinubu’s administration, with seven collapses occurring in 2024 alone.
HURIWA concluded that under the current government, Nigerians have experienced increased power outages, higher electricity tariffs, and minimal improvement in supply, exacerbating an already dire economic situation.