Peter Obi accepted the Nigerian Democratic Congress presidential nomination on Saturday in Abuja. He paired with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate.
Obi promised to add at least 10,000 megawatts to Nigeria's power grid within four years. This would nearly triple current generation capacity from roughly 4,000MW to a minimum of 14,000MW.
"We currently generate and distribute a mere 4,000 megawatts for over 200 million people," Obi told NDC delegates. In his words: "Over the next four years, I commit to ensuring a minimum of 10,000MW power increase."
Nigeria's electricity shortage isn't theoretical. Manufacturers across the country run diesel generators for most of their operations.
Cold-storage operators, fintech firms, and other businesses lose billions of naira yearly to fuel costs. Their competitors in comparable economies pay far less.
The World Bank has long identified power supply as Nigeria's biggest economic constraint.
Obi hammered this point with regional comparisons. South Africa generates over 40,000MW despite a population under half Nigeria's size.
Egypt produces similar amounts with comparable demographics.
Nigeria isn't just underperforming, he argued. It's being vastly outpaced by regional competitors on a per-capita basis.
Kwankwaso's selection carries serious political weight. The senator commands strong support across the Northwest, a region historically decisive in presidential contests.
Obi's base remains concentrated in the Southeast and among urban professionals. That coalition proved enthusiastic in 2023 but ultimately fell short.
Adding Kwankwaso expands geographic and demographic reach before formal campaigning starts.
Beyond electricity, Obi outlined ambitions spanning healthcare, education, agriculture, security and governance. He called these structural pillars of a productivity-driven administration.
He offered limited specifics on those other areas Saturday. The power pledge appeared deliberately positioned as his flagship commitment.
It's a concrete, measurable promise. Obi seems intent on anchoring his economic credibility with voters fatigued by decades of vague campaign promises.
