{"id":33822,"date":"2026-06-24T08:24:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T07:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/?p=33822"},"modified":"2026-06-24T08:25:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T07:25:19","slug":"presidency-challenges-peter-obis-10000mw-power-promise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/presidency-challenges-peter-obis-10000mw-power-promise\/","title":{"rendered":"Presidency Challenges Peter Obi\u2019s 10,000MW Power Promise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ABUJA, Nigeria (FN) \u2014 Nigeria\u2019s presidency has faulted opposition candidate Peter Obi\u2019s pledge to boost electricity generation by 10,000 megawatts within four years, saying the country already has more installed capacity than the figure promised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tuesday that Nigeria\u2019s real challenge is not generation capacity but structural bottlenecks, including inadequate gas supply, debts owed to gas companies and an outdated national grid. He noted that Nigeria has an installed capacity of about 13,500 megawatts, but much of it remains unused due to systemic constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onanuga explained that legacy debts of more than 4 trillion naira owed to gas suppliers have prevented power plants from operating at full capacity. He added that President Bola Tinubu\u2019s administration has moved to address longstanding constraints by signing the Electricity Act, which allows states to generate, transmit and distribute power independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several states have already begun taking advantage of the law, which officials say will make the sector more competitive. Onanuga also claimed that power generation has improved compared to levels inherited in May 2023, though transmission remains a major obstacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe grid is outdated,\u201d he said, adding that the government has proposed the creation of a Grid Asset Management Company Limited (GAMCO) to modernize hydropower facilities and optimize performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Obi\u2019s pledge, made during campaign activities ahead of the 2027 election, has reignited debate over Nigeria\u2019s decades-long struggle to provide reliable electricity. Despite having one of Africa\u2019s largest installed capacities, the country often generates less than half of its potential due to gas shortages, technical faults and grid failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy analysts say the dispute highlights the complexity of Nigeria\u2019s power sector, where political promises often clash with entrenched structural problems. Reliable electricity remains a critical issue for economic growth, industrialization and everyday life in Africa\u2019s most populous nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Globally, Nigeria\u2019s electricity challenges mirror those of other emerging economies such as South Africa and India, where installed capacity is undermined by weak infrastructure, fuel shortages and governance issues. Experts argue that without addressing systemic inefficiencies, pledges to add megawatts risk becoming symbolic rather than transformative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public reaction has been mixed. Supporters of Obi say his promise reflects ambition and urgency, while critics argue that his proposal overlooks the deeper structural reforms needed to unlock Nigeria\u2019s existing capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom line: Nigeria\u2019s electricity debate is less about how much power can be generated and more about whether the country can modernize its grid, secure fuel supply and enforce accountability in the sector. Only then can promises of expanded capacity translate into reliable electricity for homes and businesses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ABUJA, Nigeria (FN) \u2014 Nigeria\u2019s presidency has faulted opposition candidate Peter Obi\u2019s pledge to boost electricity generation by 10,000 megawatts within four years, saying the country already has more installed capacity than the figure promised. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tuesday that Nigeria\u2019s real challenge is not generation capacity but structural bottlenecks, including inadequate gas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":33823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2096,4,5,3,1138],"tags":[20068,20072,20070,20065,20073,20066],"class_list":["post-33822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economics","category-featured","category-international","category-naija-news","category-politics","tag-bola-tinubu-electricity-reforms","tag-grid-asset-management-company-gamco","tag-national-grid-modernization-nigeria","tag-nigeria-electricity-generation-capacity","tag-nigeria-power-sector-challenges","tag-peter-obi-2027-presidential-campaign"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Bayo-Onanuga-vs-Peter-Obi.webp?fit=700%2C400","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33822"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33827,"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33822\/revisions\/33827"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}