The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly condemned the recent collapse of the national electricity grid, which occurred on October 14 and 15, 2024. In response, HURIWA has called for the immediate removal of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, citing his “gross incompetence” and lack of qualifications for the role.
Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, expressed frustration over what he described as a revolving door of ineffective politicians in the Ministry of Power over the last two decades. According to Onwubiko, these ministers have repeatedly failed to deliver on the promise of reliable electricity, leaving Nigeria’s economy and infrastructure suffering from chronic power outages.
The group criticized President Tinubu for appointing a politician without expertise in power management to such a crucial ministry, emphasizing that electricity is essential for economic growth, particularly for small and medium-scale enterprises. HURIWA argued that the government’s excuses for frequent grid collapses—citing system disturbances or infrastructure issues—fail to address the core problems, with no concrete action plan in sight.
The latest grid collapse marks the seventh in 2024 alone, worsening an already challenging economic situation as Nigerians continue to face increased outages and higher electricity tariffs with no noticeable improvement in power supply.
