At 10:20 GMT on September 10, 2025, Nigeria plunged into darkness once again. Yet beyond the flickering lights lay a much darker truth, one laid bare by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC): the power sector isn’t failing by accident, it’s being systematically crippled.
What the NLC Is Saying
According to the NLC, the grid’s collapse is no isolated outage, it’s a symptom of chronic decay.
NLC, in a statement signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, disclosed that the power sector is crippled because it is managed by a cabal of the wrong individuals, unqualified political cronies and economic buccaneers who do not see national infrastructure as too crucial for development.
The union also said the continued collapse of the grid is a direct attack on national productivity and urged the government to address the nature, character and capacity of those appointed to the sector.
They point fingers squarely at:
* Incompetence in leadership, with the power ministry and NERC failing spectacularly to uphold their responsibilities.
* A woeful ₦8 billion proposal to “sensitize” Nigerians on paying their bills, while distributors and contractors remain unpaid and infrastructure crumbles.
* A pressing demand for a full audit of the power sector budget, to unearth corrupt contracts, hidden debts, and budget abuses.
More Than Words—Data Speaks
This is more than fiery rhetoric—it’s backed by cold, hard numbers:
* GenCos are owed trillions—N1.4 trillion and counting—making reliable power generation nearly impossible.
* The grid infrastructure is ancient—over 40 years old—with widespread vandalism, poor maintenance, and zero automation.
* The grid can only distribute about a third of its 13,500 MW capacity, trapping the country in perpetual power scarcity.
* Insecurity has left major transmission lines unrepaired—further weakening grid resilience.
* The grid still lacks critical modern systems like SCADA and spinning reserves, adding vulnerability to cascading failures.
Accountability or Collapse
The NLC is clear: this sector is collapsing not just from technical failure, but human failure.
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Officials and institutions have failed Nigerian citizens by prioritizing propaganda over power.
As they put it: asking for billions to teach users to pay—but what about paying energy providers or securing the wires that bring light?
