Opinion: Darkness wins when we clap

In Nigeria, there is a saying: “Seeing is trust.” But even the trust system is under threat in the country where government projects are more about headlines than substance. Officials cut ribbons, pose for cameras, and declare victory, but residents in the ground often find the abandoned structure, installation below standard, or not at all. The breakup of the relationship between announcements and reality has become a national norm.

Every week brings new waves Jingles, sponsored content, and social media hypes – usually about the new “completed” project or “transformation” efforts. They said the road had been repaired, schools that were equipped, or the power was restored to rural areas. But when people go to confirm, they find that only the signboard is installed – or worse, that strength has never been turned on. Nigeria has perfected the art of the development of ceremonies.

There is no more absurd place than our reaction to electricity. In some communities, the installation of transformers triggers illegal celebrations. Drummer appears. Dancing Women. Religious leaders are invited to pray on a metal box like a sacred altar. We have a party for what should be a routine government service – and call it progress.

This simplest minimum culture of this minimum reflects how deep the system has failed. For many years the damaged promises have taught residents to reduce their expectations. When a city gets strength for two days a week, people act as if they have won the lottery. Meanwhile, leaders pat their backs to solve the problems they created.

According to the National Statistics Bureau, the average Nigerian household receives only 6.6 hours of electricity per day. It added to around 2,409 hours a year – because of a total of 8,760 hours. Clearly, Nigerians have access to electricity only 27% this year. For the remaining 73%, candles, fuel, generators, and frustration.

Even ASO Rock – The chair of the president’s power – does not avoid. In January 2025, the driver stole an underground cable, plunged the villa and more than 60% of Abuja into the darkness. In February, technical errors dropped power to more than 50 government facilities, including the President’s villa. In 2022, Villa relied on generators for days during the national blackout. If the highest office in the country cannot guarantee stable strength, what hope is for ordinary citizens?

Shocking economic costs. Nigeria lost around $ 26 billion per year due to lack of electricity. Business spends an additional $ 22 billion every year for off-group electricity solutions such as diesel generators and solar reserves. These numbers are not just statistics – they are the weight of economic growth that are hampered, loss of jobs, and destroyed potential.

And still, many leaders do not see this as an emergency. Instead of focusing on long-term energy reforms, they are obsessed with the next selection cycle-winning popularity, not inheritance. The needs of residents to take the rear seats to campaign for optics, and policies to become theater. If Nigerian leaders appreciate the impact on the picture, electricity will be improved for a long time.

But the problem does not end with politicians. The media must also be responsible. Too much publication continues to celebrate leaders who fail to prioritize electricity – treat mediocritas as achievement. In the future, the power supply must be a standard that cannot be negotiated for leadership assessment. Journalists or any platform that glorifies the cutting of the ribbon for the results not only allow failure-they are involved in it.

Electricity is not luxury. That’s right. That’s the power of hospitals, schools, business, and home. In 2025, no Nigerian child had to do homework with candles.

However, instead of improving grids or expanding renewable choices, politicians share generators such as campaign souvenirs. They exploited despair and sold temporary improvements as permanent progress. But with strategic investment, law enforcement, and political will, constant power can really be achieved. We just need to stop pretending to be rocket science.

Governance must move beyond the spectacle. We don’t need another commissioning from a half -functioning project. We need sustainable infrastructure. We need a serious leader, not a ceremony.

Until the Nigerians see stable electricity as a basic right – and demand it – we will remain trapped in this endless cycle. The day we stopped applauding for the light that came for only a few hours a day was the day the real change began. Leaders must be held with higher standards. And residents must stop celebrating survival as success.

So next time you hear “commissioning” in your area, ask difficult questions. Is that a real progress-or just another photo? Are we solving problems – or dancing around them? Because if you still have to pray, fast, or have a party just to get light, then the system has disappointed you.

Author: Abidemi Adebamiwa

The article published in our graffiti section is the opinion of the writers and does not represent Nigerian ripple views or the editorial booths.

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