NLC slams Power Minister over false claim of ‘miraculously’ powering 150m Nigerians
By Ukpono Ukpong
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has lambasted the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, over his claim that 150 million Nigerians now enjoy adequate electricity supply with just 5,500 megawatts.
In a statement signed by NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the union described the statement as “outrageous,” “pretentious,” and “a bad joke” on citizens who continue to grapple with erratic power supply and rising electricity costs.
“This wild assertion is not only pretentious, it is a bad joke on a people daily confronted by grinding darkness, outrageous electricity tariffs, and a power sector manipulated for private profit at the expense of national progress. Perhaps, the Minister wants to perform Jesus’ miracle of feeding 5,000 persons with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes.”
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The NLC described Adelabu’s claim as an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians, arguing that a country with over 200 million people generating just 5,500MW—far below the global benchmark of 1,000MW per million people—cannot claim to be powering 150 million citizens.
“By that standard, Nigeria should be generating no less than 150,000MW to justify such a claim.
“We want to ask; is Nigeria’s standard different from world standard? Where are the power plants that make this level of supply possible? Where is the upgraded transmission infrastructure to support such output? Why are our homes still shrouded in darkness and our factories shutting down daily?” the union queried.
The NLC said millions of Nigerians still live in darkness, while those who have electricity access suffer regular blackouts, inflated tariffs, and unfair billing practices.
“The few who have access do so under constant threat of disconnection, blackouts, and financial exploitation through a complex pyramid of inflated tariffs and arbitrary billing,” the statement read.
Ajaero blamed the current power sector crisis on the 2013 privatization exercise, describing it as a “grand betrayal” that handed vital national infrastructure to cronies for N400 billion.
“Over a decade later, there has been no improvement in service delivery,” he lamented, adding that the same GenCos and DISCOs are now beneficiaries of N4 trillion in public subsidies with zero accountability.
The union also condemned plans to privatize the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), calling it “not reform” but “an economic ruse.”
Ajaero warned that such a move would worsen an already failing system. “It is an attempt to swallow the remaining power asset by the ruling elite at the detriment of the suffering Nigerian masses,” he said.
Addressing the recent electricity tariff hike, the NLC described it as “a sophisticated scheme to legalize exploitation.”
According to Ajaero, “While DISCOs have raked in over N700 billion from helpless consumers, power supply remains epileptic, erratic, and inaccessible to the majority.”
The union also decried the treatment of power sector workers, who it said are “poorly paid and grossly undervalued” despite holding the fragile sector together. Meanwhile, “top NERC officials and private sector profiteers enrich themselves in a festival of regulatory impunity,” he said.
“What is going on presently is clearly not a reform but an organized profiteering,” the labour leader declared, accusing government actors of being disconnected from the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
“Nigerians are tired of propaganda and statistical gymnastics. Cease from insulting the intelligence of the people with fabrications and false hope. Nigerians deserve more respect.”
He however, affirmed the NLC’s commitment to holding the government accountable.
“We will not fold our arms while Nigerians are exploited by economic fat cats. We are prepared to deploy all democratic and lawful means to expose and resist all grand deception targeted at the Nigerian masses.”
