When A Minister Negotiates What Other Countries Have Taken For Granted 

BY AVM RTD AKUGBE IYAMU MNSA fsi

The problem of Nigeria is not electricity, it is leadership.

If the minister of power has publicly agreed that the problem of electricity was beyond him what do you expect from a man who was so quick to categorise the country into band A-E and now a vendor of apologies.

The world Bank estimates that Nigeria loses between 28 and 29 billion dollars due to unreliable electricity annually.

Additionally, when there is grid collapse, the country loses 1.9 billion Naira every minute.

The minister is treating the issue of power as administrative failure whereas it purely a structural, system and governance failure.

There were 43 million SMEs in 2023 but unstable electricity and high energy costs have reduced the number to about 17 million.

We have more people fleeing the country “japa” to the unknown because they are tired of explaining their talents to an environment that offers no welfare, resources or incentives like their peers elsewhere.

When a minister of power is negotiating performance, negotiating failure and negotiating incompetence, it is time to quit.

AVM RTD AKUGBE IYAMU MNSA fsi
CONSULTANT ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ANALYST ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE PRACTITIONERS