National Grid Collapse: Labour urges Power Minister to resign
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the resignation of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, along with other officials of the Ministry of Power, in light of the frequent collapses of the national power grid.
In a statement issued to journalists on Wednesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero warned that the country’s power sector was on the verge of total collapse. He criticized the Minister for dismissing the ongoing grid failures, suggesting that the frequent collapses have become a norm.
Ajaero stated, “If the Ministry of Power were led by competent officials, the repeated grid collapses would have been avoided, instead of the Minister’s troubling assertion that these incidents will continue. This clearly reflects a failure and incapacity within the Ministry, and we question why they have not done the honorable thing and resigned.”
He further pointed out that the number of national grid collapses during this administration has surpassed all previous records in Nigerian history. “Instead of making empty statements, Nigerians expect serious leadership and decisive action,” Ajaero added.
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The NLC President also condemned the Minister’s proposal to allocate ₦8 billion in the 2025 budget for educating Nigerians on how to pay their electricity bills. Ajaero said, “The power sector is on the brink of collapse, and yet, the Ministry of Power is focused on wasting public funds on a campaign to teach Nigerians how to pay bills, rather than addressing the root causes of the grid failures.”
He criticized the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for its inability to regulate the sector effectively. Despite the broad powers granted to NERC by the 2023 Electricity Act, Ajaero claimed the Commission had failed to act, demonstrating incompetence in regulating the power sector and protecting consumers.
Ajaero also drew attention to the mounting debts owed to contractors in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which exceed ₦200 billion. He praised the unions for their intervention in December 2024, which prevented further financial burdens from being imposed on the sector.
The NLC President took aim at NERC’s treatment of whistleblowers, calling it “unthinkable” that the Commission would punish those reporting misconduct rather than safeguarding them.
Ajaero concluded, “We will continue to monitor developments in the power sector and ensure that public funds are not wasted. Our stance is clear: incompetence must not go unpunished, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
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