Lagos Youths Protest Blackouts as Tinubu Fails to Deliver on 24-Hour Power Promise

In the early hours of March 12, youths took to the streets of Lagos to protest what residents and business owners have described as a persistent and worsening electricity crisis.

Chanting "we are not asking for too much, give us light," the demonstrators gave voice to a frustration that has been building across the state for months.

For most residents, the situation has significantly worsened living conditions, while for business owners, the erratic power supply has driven up operating costs and disrupted daily activities. Ikeja Electric, in a public notice issued on March 11, acknowledged the disruptions and attributed them to gas supply constraints affecting power generation on the national grid.

"The current situation is due to gas supply constraints affecting the national grid. This has resulted in a significant energy shortfall, necessitating increased load shedding across all our feeders," the company said, adding that it was maintaining communication with stakeholders to help restore normal generation levels.

The explanation points to a structural problem. Nigeria's electricity system relies heavily on gas-fired thermal plants connected to the Transmission Company of Nigeria-managed national grid.

Although the country's installed generation capacity claims to exceed 13,000 megawatts, available capacity frequently fluctuates between 3,000 and 5,000 megawatts due to gas shortages, transmission constraints, and plant maintenance issues.

Gas-fired plants account for more than 70 per cent of Nigeria's electricity generation, meaning any disruption in supply triggers near-immediate nationwide shortages.

As the protests unfolded, residents were quick to resurrect a campaign promise made by President Bola Tinubu before his election.

"Whichever way, by all means necessary, you must have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated billing anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don't keep the promise and I come back for second term, don't vote for me," Tinubu had declared.

That promise has become a recurring reference point for Nigerians navigating daily life without reliable power, and Wednesday's protest made clear that patience with the administration on this issue is running thin.

On March 6, President Tinubu inaugurated an 11-member committee to drive the establishment of the Grid Asset Management Company Limited, known as GAMCO, a new initiative aimed at addressing Nigeria's persistent power sector challenges. The Federal Executive Council had approved the company's establishment as part of efforts to tackle stranded power generation, transmission bottlenecks, and grid management inefficiencies.

The committee, chaired by the President's Chief of Staff, includes the Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, the Ministers of Power, Works, Finance, Communications, Science and Technology, Aviation, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, among others.

It is tasked with reviewing existing laws and regulatory frameworks governing the electricity value chain and identifying conflicts or gaps that may hinder GAMCO's implementation.

Whether the committee's work will translate into tangible relief for Lagos residents and the country at large remains to be seen.

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