Due to grid collapse, the NLC seeks the resignation of the power minister

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the resignation of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, citing repeated national grid failures and poor management of the electricity sector.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed grave concern over the deteriorating state of Nigeria’s power sector, warning that it is on the verge of total collapse.

Ajaero stated, “If the Ministry of Power were led by capable officials, the persistent and embarrassing grid collapses could have been prevented. Instead, the Minister’s admission that these failures are inevitable reflects a troubling norm of incompetence.

“This is a clear acknowledgment of failure. The honorable course of action for the Ministry’s leadership would be to step aside.”

Ajaero criticized the frequency of grid failures, claiming they have occurred more under the current administration than under all previous ones combined. He also condemned what he described as frivolous projects in the 2025 budget, including ₦8 billion allocated for sensitizing Nigerians about paying electricity bills, while critical infrastructure is neglected.

“The power sector is teetering on the edge of collapse, plagued by gross incompetence. Despite the vast powers granted to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) under the Electricity Act of 2023, the commission has either failed to regulate effectively or deliberately ignored its responsibilities to electricity consumers,” Ajaero said.

He added, “While the Minister is fixated on spending ₦8 billion on public sensitization, contractors of the Transmission Company of Nigeria are owed over ₦200 billion. If not for union interventions in December 2024, further wasteful contracts would have been awarded, exacerbating the sector’s financial burden.”

Ajaero also criticized NERC for its alleged lack of accountability and failure to protect consumers. He cited an incident where the commission purportedly colluded with the board of a distribution company to sack its managing director for exposing unethical practices.

“It is appalling that NERC, an organization tasked with ensuring transparency and efficiency, would punish a whistleblower rather than protect and reward them. This underscores the commission’s lack of readiness to fulfill its mandate,” he said.

The NLC emphasized its commitment to monitoring the power sector and warned against using the budget as a tool for wasteful expenditures. Ajaero called on the federal government to prioritize meaningful reforms to avert a total collapse of the electricity sector, urging decisive action to restore public confidence.

“We cannot stand by as public funds are squandered in the name of governance. Incompetence must not be tolerated, and those responsible must be held accountable,” Ajaero concluded.