Persistent theft of electricity cables and vandalism of power infrastructure have left several communities in Munjibir, Makoda and Dambatta local councils of Kano without electricity for more than 10 years.
The director-general of the Research and Documentation Directorate, Kano, Nana Asma’u Jibrin, disclosed this during an assessment tour of vandalised electricity transmission corridors in the affected areas.
Mr Jibrin said the exercise aimed to identify the causes of recurring vandalism and assess its impact on residents.
The assessment, he said, covered major power line routes linking Munjibir and Kunya towns, Kwanar Dumawa and Kore towns, as well as the towns of Wailari and environs, among others.
He said that during interactions with stakeholders, the team would gather firsthand information on the extent of the damage and its impact on socio-economic activities in the affected communities.
The director expressed optimism that the assessment’s recommendations would support government efforts to curb infrastructure vandalism and ensure a sustainable electricity supply in the affected communities.
The chairman of Makoda local council, Lawan Jibga, lamented that repeated theft of electrical cables and destruction of power facilities had denied many communities access to electricity for many years.
He said the prolonged blackout had negatively affected businesses, healthcare delivery, education and other socio-economic activities.
According to him, the situation forced the council to explore alternative electricity sources for residents.
The official stated that the council had installed solar-powered systems in some of the worst-hit communities to improve access to electricity and support economic activities.
He called for urgent government intervention to restore the power supply and safeguard public infrastructure from further vandalism in the areas.