The Federal Government of Nigeria has pledged to restore power to 17 northern states within five days following a prolonged blackout caused by vandalism of a critical transmission line. This assurance came from the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, after his meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja. The disruption, affecting millions, is linked to damage on the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line—a primary power source for the region.
The Power Minister detailed the government’s commitment to swift action, assuring that repairs would be complete within three to five days. “President Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Chief of Air Staff to ensure the necessary security for those tasked with fixing the damaged line. With adequate security in place, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) staff and contractors can work confidently in the field,” Adelabu said.
Adelabu asked residents in the affected northern states for patience, emphasizing that power would soon be restored. He highlighted that the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line is one of Nigeria’s oldest and that the Federal Executive Council had previously approved upgrades to improve its stability. Once these upgrades are complete, Adelabu assured, the region would experience a more reliable electricity supply.
To support households during the current blackout, Adelabu stated plans to meet with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and all Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to ensure that residents in the affected northern regions would not be billed during the outage period.
Looking to the future, the minister laid out a vision for solar energy to secure reliable power across the northern states, utilizing the region’s abundant sunlight. Plans involve working with contractors to develop solar grids of up to 100 megawatts per state, which will not only improve power availability but also reduce pressure on the national grid. “With over 10 hours of daily sunshine, solar power is a viable, sustainable solution for the North,” he stated.
In a related development, the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, pledged to prioritize the security of critical infrastructures. He addressed the importance of securing the nation’s power assets to prevent further incidents like the recent sabotage of the Shiroro-Kaduna line.
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has urged President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on the power crisis in the North, viewing it as a threat to regional and national stability. The ACF criticized the government’s explanation for delays, arguing that attributing them to security challenges reflects a concession to criminal activity.
The forum expressed frustration over what it sees as an imbalance in power distribution, with northern states receiving less electricity despite their large population and the region’s substantial power generation.
In a statement, the ACF emphasized the unfairness of the current allocation system: “While the North generates substantial electricity power, it is ironically allocated the least in supply. It just does not make any sense that Lagos alone has eight (8) sub-stations, while the whole of the northern states combined, harbouring more than half of Nigeria’s total population has only three (3) sub-stations at Jos, Kaduna, and Kano.”
