By Raymond Akorede
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has slammed the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, over his recent claim that 150 million Nigerians are now enjoying “adequate electricity” due to an output of 5,500 megawatts—a figure the union describes as “a bad joke taken too far.”
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero said the assertion is “pretentious” and “an insult to the intelligence and lived realities of Nigerians,” many of whom are still grappling with widespread blackouts, inflated tariffs, and a chronically underperforming power sector.
“For the Minister to suggest that over 150 million Nigerians have access to reliable power in a country that struggles to generate a meager and inconsistent 5,000 megawatts—far below the global benchmark of 1,000MW per one million people—is to insult the intelligence of Nigerians,” Ajaero stated.
He continued: “By that standard, Nigeria should be generating no less than 150,000MW to justify such a claim. Yet, even on its best day, the country’s generation has never exceeded 5,500MW—and that figure remains unstable and unreliable.”
The NLC questioned the infrastructure and policy logic behind the Minister’s statement, demanding to know where the power plants and upgraded transmission networks that would support such a claim exist. “Why are our homes still shrouded in darkness and our factories shutting down daily?” Ajaero asked.
The union took a swipe at the 2013 power sector privatization, describing it as “a grand betrayal” that handed over critical national assets to cronies “for just N400 billion,” without yielding any measurable improvement in electricity supply. “Over a decade later, there has been no significant capacity expansion or infrastructure renewal. Yet, these same GenCos and DISCOs are set to receive over N4 trillion in public subsidies—with zero accountability,” the statement added.
Ajaero also warned against the government’s proposed sale of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), calling it “an economic ruse dressed in bureaucratic doublespeak.”
“This move is not reform; it’s a desperate attempt to swallow the remaining power asset by the ruling elite,” he said. “We are worried that the already hijacked entities in the name of privatization have grossly underperformed, and yet the government is moving to repeat the same mistake.”
The NLC further decried the recent electricity tariff hikes based on a new classification system, labeling it “a sophisticated scheme to legalize exploitation.” According to the union, while distribution companies (DISCOs) have collected over N700 billion from consumers, power supply remains erratic and unreliable.
“Millions of Nigerians are now forced to choose between food and electricity bills,” Ajaero said. “It is apparent that those who preside over the affairs of this country have either lost their sense of humanity or simply do not care.”
Highlighting the plight of workers in the power sector, Ajaero noted that they continue to “hold the crumbling system together” despite being poorly paid and undervalued. He criticized the regulatory body, NERC, accusing it of enabling impunity while private profiteers enrich themselves.
“This is not a reform; it is organized profiteering,” he declared.
In a final message to the Power Minister, the NLC urged an end to what it called “statistical gymnastics and propaganda.”
“Nigerians deserve more respect,” Ajaero concluded. “If you generate, transmit, and distribute more power, we will see it in our homes and factories—not on the pages of newspapers and television screens.”
The NLC warned that it is prepared to use all lawful means to resist what it termed “grand deception” and pledged to continue advocating for a power sector that serves the people, not profiteers.
“Let there be light,” Ajaero ended, “not lies.”
