Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s persistent power crisis, stating that the country ought to be generating a minimum of 60,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity to meet its economic and industrial needs.
Speaking during a recent business forum, Dangote lamented the nation’s chronic underperformance in the energy sector, pointing out that despite Nigeria’s population of over 200 million and its position as Africa’s largest economy, it still struggles to generate and distribute less than 5,000MW of electricity on average.
“For a country of our size and potential, generating less than 5,000MW is not only unacceptable—it is an obstacle to real economic growth. By now, Nigeria should be producing at least 60,000MW if we truly want to industrialize and attract large-scale investments,” Dangote said.
The industrialist emphasized that inadequate power supply remains one of the major hindrances to industrialization, job creation, and national development. He revealed that many manufacturers, including the Dangote Group, are forced to generate their own power at high costs just to remain operational.
“How do we compete with countries that enjoy stable and affordable electricity when we are spending millions of dollars annually on diesel and gas to power our factories?” he asked.
Dangote called for urgent reforms in the power sector, including investments in generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. He also urged the federal government to create policies that attract foreign direct investment in renewable energy and off-grid solutions.
According to energy experts, Nigeria has the potential to generate over 200,000MW from a mix of gas, hydro, solar, and wind resources, but years of underinvestment, mismanagement, and infrastructural decay have kept the sector stagnant.
As Nigerians continue to grapple with erratic power supply, Dangote’s statement serves as a wake-up call for leaders, stakeholders, and policymakers to prioritize electricity as a cornerstone for economic transformation.
By [Your News Outlet yabaleftonline ]
Date: July 17, 2025
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