Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has promised to raise Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution capacity to at least 10,000 megawatts within four years if elected president in 2027.
Obi made the pledge on Saturday during his acceptance speech at the party’s national convention in Abuja, where he emerged as the party’s presidential flag bearer.
He said Nigeria’s current electricity output, estimated at about 4,000 megawatts, was far too low for a country of over 200 million people and a major barrier to economic growth.
“We currently generate and distribute a mere 4,000 megawatts of electricity for a population exceeding 200 million,” Obi said.
He added, “It is unacceptable that a nation of over 200 million people generates and distributes only about 4,000 megawatts.”
The former Anambra State governor compared Nigeria’s performance with other African countries, saying the gap showed the depth of the crisis.
“The biggest economies in Africa — South Africa and Egypt — generate more than 40,000 megawatts each,” he said.
Obi stressed that his administration would treat power supply as a top priority, describing it as central to job creation, industrial growth and poverty reduction.
He said, “Over the next four years, I commit to ensuring a minimum of 10,000 megawatts power increase generation and distribution.”
He also pledged broader reforms across infrastructure, healthcare and the economy, saying Nigeria’s challenges require urgent and coordinated action.
Obi argued that millions of Nigerians still lack reliable electricity, adding that the current state of the sector was unacceptable for a modern economy.
The promise adds to his long-standing campaign focus on electricity reform, a recurring issue in Nigeria’s political debates as successive governments struggle to stabilise power supply and fix the national grid.
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