The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the resignation of Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, citing frequent national grid collapses and poor handling of Nigeria's electricity sector.
In a statement on Tuesday night, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed alarm over the deteriorating power situation, describing it as a sector nearing total collapse. He criticized the Ministry of Power for failing to prevent the embarrassing and frequent grid failures.
"If the Ministry of Power were managed by competent officials, these persistent grid collapses could have been avoided," Ajaero stated. "The Minister’s comments suggesting such failures are normal show a clear lack of capacity and accountability. Resignation would be the honorable course of action."
Ajaero also criticized the proposed ₦8 billion allocation in the 2025 budget for "sensitizing Nigerians on paying electricity bills." He argued that the funds could be better used to improve critical infrastructure.
"It’s disheartening to see the Ministry prioritize frivolous spending while contractors at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) are owed over ₦200 billion," Ajaero said.
He noted that the grid's frequent collapses are a direct result of mismanagement and incompetence within the sector.
The NLC president also slammed the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for failing to fulfill its mandate of protecting electricity consumers. He cited a recent incident where NERC allegedly colluded with a distribution company's board to dismiss a managing director who exposed unethical practices.
"Instead of rewarding whistleblowers, NERC is punishing them. This shows a complete lack of transparency and efficiency in the commission’s operations," Ajaero said.
The union emphasized the need for immediate reforms in the power sector to prevent further decline and warned against budgetary waste. Ajaero urged the federal government to focus on revamping the electricity sector, noting that continued negligence would erode public trust.
"Our stance is clear: incompetence should not be tolerated, and those responsible must face accountability," he concluded.
