Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that Nigeria may continue to suffer poor electricity supply unless the government gives private operators a greater role in the power sector.

He spoke on Tuesday at the Youth Governance Dialogue, themed “African Youth and Renaissance,” held at the Youth Development Centre, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Obasanjo said Nigeria had spent years waiting for the government to fix the power sector, yet the country continued to face unreliable supply, frequent grid collapses and widespread dependence on generators.

He pointed to the telecommunications sector as an example of what could be achieved by allowing private companies to lead.

“Government has tried, just like government tried with telecommunications, until we put it in the hands of the private sector, we didn’t solve it,” he said.

“And I believe that until we put energy in the hands of the private sector, we won’t solve it,” he added.

The former president described electricity as essential to economic growth, saying businesses need reliable power to expand, industries to produce and jobs to be created. 

He expressed disappointment that Nigeria was still struggling with electricity despite years of promises and reforms.

Obasanjo urged the authorities to give private operators more room to drive improvements in the sector. 

He also encouraged young Nigerians to contribute ideas and solutions, particularly through business and technology, rather than waiting for the government to resolve the power crisis.