Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)Peter Obi has pledged to increase Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution capacity to at least 10,000 megawatts (MW) within four years if elected president in 2027.

Obi made the promise on Saturday after emerging as the NDC’s presidential candidate at the party’s national convention in Abuja.

The convention was convened to formally ratify Obi’s candidacy as the party’s sole presidential flag bearer for the 2027 general election.

In his acceptance speech, the former Anambra State governor described Nigeria’s current electricity output as grossly inadequate for a country of more than 200 million people.

According to him, it is unacceptable that Nigeria generates and distributes only about 4,000 megawatts of electricity, while millions of citizens remain without access to power.

“Today, Nigeria is the country with the highest number of people without access to electricity in the world. About 100 million Nigerians do not have access to electricity,” Obi said.

“In today’s world, it is unacceptable that a nation of over 200 million people generates and distributes only about 4,000 megawatts.

“The biggest economies in Africa — South Africa and Egypt — generate more than 40,000 megawatts each. We are not even producing 10 per cent of what these countries generate and distribute, despite having a larger population.

“It is unacceptable, and I pledge that within four years, our government will increase power generation and distribution from the current level of about 4,000 megawatts to at least 10,000 megawatts.”

Obi also questioned the unemployment figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which put Nigeria’s unemployment rate at 4.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2024.

He argued that the data does not accurately reflect the economic realities faced by many Nigerians, particularly young people struggling to secure jobs.

The former governor said his administration would address unemployment through targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as incentives aimed at boosting job creation and economic productivity.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government announced in April 2026 that electricity generation had improved modestly, rising from 3,951 megawatts on March 28 to more than 4,300 megawatts by April 10. (The Guardian)

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