Lagos youths took to the streets on March 12 over persistent power outages linked to gas supply constraints, as Tinubu’s campaign promise to fix electricity continues to haunt his administration.
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.
President Tinubu’s Failed Promise
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.
