Unstable Electricity Threatens Industrialisation, Job Creation In Nigeria — Ajaero

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has urged the federal government to prioritise stable electricity supply and developmental projects, warning that unreliable power remains a major obstacle to industrialisation, the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large-scale job creation in Nigeria.

Ajaero said sustained industrial development depended largely on regular electricity supply, describing power as a fundamental social service and a critical driver of economic growth, particularly for small businesses and the informal sector.

He warned that without reliable electricity, efforts to transform SMEs into productive enterprises capable of generating employment and contributing significantly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would remain largely unsuccessful.

The NLC president identified businesses operated by artisans and small-scale entrepreneurs, including barbers, welders, tailors and frozen food dealers, as important contributors to economic activities whose growth depended on affordable and consistent electricity.

He argued that improving power supply would enable these businesses to expand their operations, increase productivity and employ more workers, thereby creating opportunities across the formal and informal sectors.

Ajaero spoke at the just-concluded 2026 Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) event, where he reiterated that mass industrialisation could not be achieved without stable electricity.

He also linked reliable power supply to efforts to tackle unemployment, saying it would provide the foundation for businesses to expand their operations and absorb more workers.

According to him, sustained electricity supply would serve as an important response to unemployment by creating an enabling environment for existing businesses to grow and new enterprises to emerge.

In a related presentation, a lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ganiu O. Okunnu, urged the Federal Government to balance public sector reforms with workers’ rights and welfare, warning that excessive emphasis on reducing government expenditure could undermine public service delivery and weaken institutional capacity.

Okunnu, of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, LASU, said sustainable public sector reforms should be driven by efficiency, social justice and workers’ welfare rather than a narrow focus on cutting government costs.

He identified fiscal sustainability, operational efficiency, service responsiveness and institutional integrity as major objectives of public sector reforms.

The lecturer stressed the need for government to pursue reforms that improve the performance of public institutions while protecting workers’ interests and ensuring that essential public services are not compromised.