Former President Olusegun Obasanjo warned that Nigeria’s electricity crisis will not be solved until the private sector takes a leading role in the energy sector. He made the remarks at a Youth Governance Dialogue themed “African Youth and Renaissance” held at the Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Obasanjo compared the electricity sector to the telecommunications industry, noting that significant progress in the latter followed the involvement of private operators. “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. And I believe that until we put energy in the hands of the private sector, we won’t solve it,” he said.
He described energy as a critical driver of economic growth and national development, expressing concern that Nigeria had yet to make sufficient progress in addressing its electricity problems. “Energy is a critical driver of economic growth and national development,” Obasanjo said, adding that the country still lags behind in this area.
Speaking to the audience, Oluwaseun Obasanjo urged young Nigerians to embrace innovation, entrepreneurship and technology. He highlighted the country’s large consumer market and challenged youths to develop local solutions that could compete with foreign businesses operating in Nigeria. “The market in Nigeria is huge. And if foreign companies are coming in every day to take advantage of this market, what can you, as youth, do to be able to succeed in this same market?” he asked.
Oluwaseun also warned that young people who fail to adopt emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, risk falling behind. He encouraged participants to use free online learning resources, particularly YouTube, to develop practical skills in marketing, software development and management.
Dr Ayodele Aderinwale, Obasanjo’s mentor, urged young Nigerians seeking to influence public policy to adopt evidence‑based advocacy and engage more actively with government institutions. He said young people needed to move beyond complaints and protests by presenting well‑researched proposals supported by facts and data. “If you want to influence a state budget, go and read the state budget. Know what share goes to capital spending, what share goes to salaries, how much was approved last year and how much was actually released,” he advised.
He added that young people advocating changes in education policy should understand the challenges within the sector, including teachers’ salaries and the condition of public school facilities. “If you want to influence education policy, know what a teacher earns, how many schools in your local government have no functioning toilet and how many lack basic facilities,” he said. Aderinwale also encouraged participation in political parties, ward meetings and professional, trade and community organisations rather than limiting involvement to political rallies.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
