The International Human Rights Commission-Relief Fund Trust (IHRC-RFT), Nigeria Chapter, has said that Nigeria’s electricity crisis has gone beyond a basic inconvenience and should now be treated as a serious human rights issue.
The Country Director of the organisation, Ambassador Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, made this known in a statement in which he called on the government to take urgent and practical steps to address the country’s power sector challenges.
According to him, access to stable electricity is directly linked to the well-being and dignity of citizens.
“Nigeria’s electricity crisis has moved beyond inconvenience. it is now a matter of human rights, dignity, and national development,” he said.
Adamu explained that global human rights standards, including provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, support the need for access to basic services that ensure a decent standard of living.
He noted that sectors such as healthcare, education and small businesses cannot function properly without reliable electricity.
“Hospitals, schools, industries, and small businesses cannot function in darkness. The dignity of citizens cannot depend on generators and fuel scarcity,” he stated.
The IHRC official also raised concerns over reports that the Presidential residence has shifted away from the national grid to alternative power sources, questioning what that means for ordinary Nigerians.
“If the highest office in the land no longer depends on the national grid, what assurance is left for ordinary Nigerians?” he asked.
He further questioned the affordability of alternative energy solutions such as solar power for the average citizen.
“If solar is the solution, how many struggling Nigerians can afford installation? Does this suggest that every citizen must independently provide electricity?” he said.
Adamu stressed that it remains the responsibility of government to provide reliable public infrastructure, including electricity.
“Where then lies government’s constitutional obligation to provide public infrastructure?” he queried.
While describing the statement as constructive criticism rather than political opposition, he urged the authorities to be transparent and accountable in addressing the power crisis.
“We are calling for a transparent and time-bound national electricity reform plan and public disclosure of generation and distribution realities,” he said.
He added that access to electricity should be treated as a priority for both development and human rights.
“Nigeria cannot industrialise in darkness. Democracy cannot flourish without accountability. And the people deserve light not uncertainty,” he added.
