Reported Simon Daniel Yusuph l journalist at wengglobal
The presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Dr Esther Nkem Okereke, has pledged to dramatically transform Nigeria’s electricity sector by targeting 25,000 megawatts (MW) of power generation within her first 100 days in office, if elected president in the 2027 general election.
The ambitious promise places electricity supply at the centre of Okereke’s campaign agenda as she seeks to position the NRM as an alternative political platform ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Okereke’s proposed target is significantly higher than the level of electricity currently available to the national grid and would require a rapid expansion of generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, as well as major improvements in gas supply, financing and sector governance.
However, the 25,000MW figure should be understood as a campaign pledge rather than an independently verified projection. Publicly available reports from major Nigerian media organisations confirming her emergence as the NRM candidate have documented her broader commitment to emergency action in the power sector, but have not independently established that 25,000MW could be achieved within 100 days.
Okereke’s power agenda
Okereke emerged as the NRM’s presidential candidate at the party’s national convention and presidential primary in Abuja in May 2026.
The party said she was selected after a screening process, with Okereke defeating other aspirants to secure the ticket. Her acceptance speech centred on national renewal, responsible leadership and institutional reform. (Premium Times Nigeria)
The NRM candidate has subsequently presented electricity as one of the areas requiring urgent government intervention. Her wider policy framework, known as the ESTHER Agenda, places emphasis on energy and education alongside security, technology, housing, entrepreneurship and restitution.
At a June 2026 news conference, Okereke called for deliberate planning, accountability and collective action to reverse Nigeria’s socio-economic difficulties. The News Agency of Nigeria reported that her energy and education proposals included stronger accountability in electricity supply and mandatory metering of electricity transformers. (News Agency of Nigeria)
Her latest 25,000MW pledge therefore represents an escalation of the emphasis placed on electricity in her campaign message.
For Nigerians and businesses that continue to rely heavily on private generators because of unreliable public electricity, the promise could prove politically significant. Power supply remains one of the country’s most persistent infrastructure and economic challenges, affecting manufacturing, telecommunications, small businesses, households and public institutions.
Nigeria’s existing electricity challenge
The scale of the proposed target becomes clearer when compared with official industry figures.
Data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) show that Nigeria has a substantial gap between installed generating capacity and the amount of electricity actually available for dispatch.
NERC reported that in April 2026, Nigeria had 13,625MW of installed grid-connected generation capacity, but only an average of 4,286MW was available for dispatch, representing a plant availability factor of 31 per cent. Average load factor was 94 per cent for the available capacity. (NERC)
The figures demonstrate that increasing Nigeria’s electricity supply is not simply a matter of constructing additional generating plants.
Existing infrastructure must also be made more reliable, while gas availability, transmission constraints, distribution networks, market liquidity and investment conditions must be addressed.
The Federal Ministry of Power’s own grid data recorded peak generation of about 4,895.70MW on January 27, 2026, illustrating the considerable distance between current grid performance and the 25,000MW target. (Power Nigeria)
Why 25,000MW in 100 days would be difficult
Achieving 25,000MW of reliable electricity generation within 100 days would represent a major increase from Nigeria’s current operational levels.
The challenge is compounded by the fact that generation is only one part of the electricity value chain.
Power generated at a plant must be transmitted across the national grid and subsequently distributed to consumers. Any significant increase in generation without corresponding transmission and distribution capacity could result in bottlenecks, system instability and stranded electricity.
The Federal Government itself acknowledged the importance of transmission infrastructure in July 2026, announcing plans for additional investment in grid stabilisation. The Ministry of Power said ageing infrastructure, transmission bottlenecks and recurring system collapses remained issues requiring structural intervention. (Power Nigeria)
NERC has likewise identified grid stability, transmission infrastructure, metering and commercial viability as central issues requiring sustained reforms and investment. (NERC)
Gas supply is another major constraint because a significant portion of Nigeria’s grid electricity comes from gas-fired power plants.
Reuters reported in February 2026 that gas-fired power plants were receiving substantially less gas than required, contributing to a decline in national electricity generation to around 4,300MW at the time. The report also highlighted the sector’s longstanding financial difficulties, including substantial debts across the electricity value chain. (Reuters)
These structural problems mean that a government seeking to deliver a substantial increase in electricity generation would need to simultaneously address fuel supply, plant rehabilitation, new generation capacity, transmission expansion, distribution infrastructure and sector financing.
Broader political context
Okereke’s electricity pledge comes as political parties and presidential candidates begin positioning themselves for the 2027 general election.
The NRM candidate has presented herself as an advocate of institutional reform and national renewal. Her campaign messaging has focused on insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, healthcare, education, housing and electricity.
The Guardian reported that Okereke described her emergence as the NRM presidential candidate as a call to national service, while the party said it intended to pursue reforms aimed at addressing Nigeria’s socio-economic and governance challenges. (The Guardian Nigeria)
Premium Times also reported that the NRM’s wider programme includes modernising the security architecture, strengthening intelligence gathering, reviving agriculture, promoting industrialisation and improving healthcare access. (Premium Times Nigeria)
Her candidacy has also attracted attention because of her background in Nigeria’s entertainment industry. Premium Times reported that she became the NRM’s presidential flag bearer after the party’s Abuja convention, describing her as the first actress in Nigeria’s history to run for president. (Premium Times Nigeria)
The need for measurable targets
For the electricity pledge to move beyond campaign rhetoric, energy analysts and voters would likely expect the NRM to provide a detailed implementation roadmap explaining how the 25,000MW target would be financed and delivered.
Such a plan would need to identify the sources of additional generation, the condition and expansion requirements of the national transmission network, the role of gas and renewable energy, financing arrangements, regulatory reforms and mechanisms for ensuring that additional generation actually reaches households and businesses.
It would also need to distinguish between installed capacity, available generation and electricity actually delivered to consumers. These are not interchangeable measurements.
Nigeria’s experience shows that installed capacity alone does not guarantee reliable electricity. NERC’s April figures, for instance, showed 13,625MW installed capacity against only 4,286MW available for dispatch. (NERC)
Consequently, the credibility of any 25,000MW target will ultimately depend not only on how much generation capacity is announced or constructed, but on how much electricity can be consistently generated, transmitted and distributed.
A high-stakes promise for Nigeria’s power sector
Okereke’s pledge nevertheless places a major national issue firmly within the 2027 political conversation.
Reliable electricity remains fundamental to Nigeria’s economic development. Manufacturers require predictable power to reduce production costs, small businesses depend on electricity to remain competitive, and households face significant additional expenses when forced to rely on petrol or diesel generators.
The challenge confronting any incoming administration will therefore be to transform Nigeria’s electricity system from one characterised by inadequate availability and recurrent disruptions into a commercially sustainable and technically reliable market.
For the NRM and its presidential candidate, the 25,000MW promise provides a clear and easily measurable campaign benchmark. But its ultimate credibility will depend on the detailed policy, financing and engineering plan presented to Nigerians.
As the 2027 election campaign develops, voters will have the opportunity to scrutinise not only the ambition behind the pledge but also the practical pathway for delivering it.
For now, the 25,000MW target remains a bold political commitment. Whether it can be achieved within the proposed 100-day timeframe will depend on the scale of investment, institutional reforms and infrastructure mobilisation that an NRM-led administration would be prepared and able to undertake.
Sources
- Premium Times – 2027: NRM elects presidential candidate
- The Guardian Nigeria – Okereke emerges NRM 2027 presidential candidate
- Punch – NRM nominates actress Esther Okereke as 2027 presidential candidate
- THISDAY – Esther Okereke emerges NRM presidential candidate
- News Agency of Nigeria – NRM presidential candidate urges Nigerians to unite for national renewal
- Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission – April 2026 Operational Performance Factsheet
- Federal Ministry of Power – Grid Performance and sector updates
- Reuters – Nigeria’s grid capacity shrinks with gas supply at 43%
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