Energy crisis in Nigeria: Why Emir Sanusi says it’s our biggest roadblock
By: Abudu Olalekan
If there’s one thing keeping Nigeria from truly taking off, it’s the power sector. We all know it. But hearing it broken down by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, just hits different.
Speaking at the International Conference Centre in Enugu on Friday, July 17, 2026, Sanusi didn’t mince words. He was there to deliver the keynote for Prof. Barth Nnaji’s birthday symposium. Nnaji, if you don’t know, is the brain behind the Geometric Power Group. And Sanusi used the platform to lay it out plain and simple. Our inability to keep the lights on is the absolute biggest roadblock to economic growth and national development.
Energy security and development go hand in hand. You just can’t have one without the other.
“A reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supply is the foundational driver of economic growth, industrialisation and poverty reduction,” he explained to the crowd. And honestly, he’s right. Countries that can’t figure out their grid always end up dealing with low productivity. Plus crazy high business costs.
Sanusi even pulled up some IMF data to back his point. The numbers show how the energy crisis in Nigeria directly messes with inflation and industrial competitiveness. Just a brief blackout? Yeah, that’s enough to dent the economy and push prices up. Which we see happening literally every day.
It’s not just about big factories, either. Think about hospitals, schools, tech hubs, even basic transport. With the rest of the world moving fast towards electric vehicles, Sanusi warned that we are going to be left in the dust if policymakers don’t wake up. So what’s the fix? He’s pushing for a mix. Take our abundant natural gas and pair it with serious investments in renewables like solar and wind.
Right now, this power gap is feeding poverty. Decades of a failing grid has forced everyone to heavily rely on generators. We’re all just breathing in carbon emissions because we don’t have a choice.
The Emir pointed out the usual suspects holding the sector back. Underinvestment. Vandals wrecking infrastructure. Corruption, obviously. Add to that the lack of cash flow and tariffs that just don’t reflect the actual cost of power. Our transmission lines just don’t have the capacity to handle a stable supply, which is why the national grid collapses seem to happen every other week. Fixing this $100 billion funding gap is gonna require some deep, painful reforms.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Sanusi pointed straight to Geometric Power to show what happens when things actually work.
“If you want to see the impact of electricity on an economy, just look at Geometric Power and Abia State. Look at the transformation in Abia. This is living evidence of what people think is theory,” he said.
He also took a quick trip down memory lane. Back when the power sector was being privatised, Prof. Nnaji actually warned everyone that some of the distribution companies (DisCos) didn’t have the deep pockets needed to survive. Turns out, he was spot on. You really need strong financial backing and strict regulators to build a market that lasts.
The Enugu event was packed. We’re talking top political leaders, academics, and industry heavyweights. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo kicked things off with the opening remarks. Enugu Governor Peter Mbah played the host, and Abia’s Governor Alex Otti was also in the building.
Beyond the speeches, the symposium had a bit of everything. A book presentation, an innovation challenge, and a presidential fireside chat anchored by Segun Adeniyi. A solid day for figuring out how to finally turn Nigeria’s lights on for good.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
