Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has said he will not promise Nigerians uninterrupted electricity within four years if elected president, describing such a commitment as unrealistic.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, Obi said improving electricity supply would be a major priority of his administration, but delivering nationwide 24-hour electricity within a single four-year term would not be feasible.
He explained that constructing new power plants and upgrading the country’s transmission infrastructure require several years to complete, making such a promise impossible to fulfill within one term.
Instead, Obi pledged to focus on improving electricity generation, transmission, and distribution to ensure a more reliable power supply across Nigeria.
According to him, his administration would work to consistently generate, transmit, and distribute at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity, noting that Nigeria’s major challenge is not power generation but the inability to effectively transmit and distribute available electricity.
The former Anambra State governor also proposed expanding embedded power projects by replicating successful decentralized electricity models, citing Geometric Power in Aba as an example that could be extended to industrial hubs such as Bompai and Sharada in Kano to boost economic activities.
Obi further said restoring investor confidence in the power sector would require the federal government to settle outstanding debts owed to electricity generation companies, which he said run into trillions of naira.
He pledged to run a transparent government built on realistic promises, adding that he would openly explain any challenges preventing his administration from fulfilling its commitments rather than making unrealistic campaign pledges.
