Ayo Sogunro — Fashola and the worrisome triumph of Class think

I have not had electricity in a while. This trivial point had escaped my notice because—like some Nigerians—I have created the illusion of uninterrupted power through the combination of a generator, an inverter and the occasional beeps of DISCO light.  The current fuel situation has forced reality on me. I now face the sobering challenge of managing a Lagos heat wave under what Chris Ogunlowo has infamously termed “a Buhari economy.”

Public electricity was first introduced to Nigeria—via a Lagos power station—in 1896. This was some fifteen years after its introduction in England. Loosely speaking, this means Nigeria has had about as much time as England to develop a working energy sector. Today, the reality is tragicomic. Some 120 years afterwards, Nigeria is struggling to maintain a measly 5,000 megawatts.
Consider the Syrian situation. Syria is currently ripped by war, insurgency and terrorism.

Yet, last week, a nationwide power outage was newsworthy enough to generate a flurry of official concern. I have now run out of excuses for the Federal Government of Nigeria in continuum.

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