Peter Obi warns power outages, rising cost of petrol will raise poverty level

The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has warned that power outages and costly petroleum products would worsen the poverty level in Nigeria.

In a post on his verified X platform on Sunday, the former Anambra State Governor warned that the negative impact of the recurring power outages on businesses, especially small businesses, was unimaginable.

He wrote: “The continued power outages in many parts of the country, particularly in the Northern and Eastern States, as well as South-South states, have remained a cause of grievous concern.

“It is heartbreaking to see that the affected states, majorly in the Northern parts of Nigeria, have been facing a total blackout for several days now.

“The negative impact of the continued power outage on businesses, especially small businesses, who depend primarily on public power supply to sustain their businesses as a means of livelihood, is unimaginable.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi speaks on why he congratulated General Gowon on his 90th birthday

“This power crisis, when combined with the present high cost of petroleum products and a harsh operating environment, remains a lethal recipe for widespread business failure and increasing poverty in the country.”

The LP noted that solving Nigeria’s power and energy crisis is not rocket science.

He outlined that many comparable nations have shown that it is feasible to deliver sustainable power to their citizens.

“Our African neighbour, Egypt, for example, invested aggressively in their power sector, which resulted in the establishment of a sustainable power infrastructure by way of many power stations.

“Today, Egypt has revolutionized power and energy production in the country, providing sustainable power to millions of small businesses, which account for over 90% of active enterprises in the country and contribute to over 80 percent of their GDP, ” he added.

Obi sympathised with everyone enduring the tough challenges, urging the government to increase its efforts and provide both immediate and long-term solutions to the ongoing issue.

By: Babajide Okeowo

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