The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has expressed deep concern over the ongoing power outages that have affected large parts of Northern Nigeria for the past five days.
The coalition is calling on the Federal Government, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), northern governors, lawmakers, and relevant stakeholders to expedite efforts to restore power to the region.
The National Coordinator of CNG, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, in a statement, stressed the need for increased investment in Northern Nigeria’s power infrastructure, warning that the current neglect will continue to stifle development in the region.
The coalition emphasizes a significant infrastructural gap, noting that the North West and North East lack adequate transmission capacity.
Charanchi said: “This unprecedented blackout has thrown millions of households into darkness, crippled businesses, and worsened the already dire economic situation in the region.
“CNG reliably gathers that patients are already dying at various hospitals due to unavailability of the hospitals to supply alternative means of power to utilize Oxygens to save lives of the patients in severe and critical conditions.
“Preliminary findings by the CNG indicate that this outage is the direct result of vandalism on the second Shiroro power line, which feeds the crucial Kaduna Station that distributes to other states in the North. We learnt too that the first other line has been faulty for months. Yet, no effort to fix it could have saved the current avoidable situation.
“We are particularly disheartened to learn that two towers along this line have not received serious attention at the beginning of the problem to promptly restore power.
“Furthermore, the only alternative source of supply, the Jos line, has repeatedly tripped, which the TCN currently said is working to fix, but cannot bring about a lasting solution. The current state of affairs is not just unacceptable but deeply alarming.”
He demands immediate action, calling for a comprehensive review of the electricity distribution framework to ensure fair and equitable access across Nigeria.
The CNG also points to a glaring power allocation imbalance, with the North receiving only a fraction of available electricity compared to other regions.
He added, “We also demand a comprehensive review of the current electricity distribution framework to ensure fair and equitable access to power across all regions of the country.
“We call on the FG, TCN, and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to explain the rationale behind this lopsided allocation, given that the North is home to most of Nigeria’s hydropower stations. It is incomprehensible that the North is left with a minimal share of national power, especially considering the region’s critical role in the country’s power generation infrastructure.”
The CNG calls for increased investment in Northern Nigeria’s power infrastructure, especially in distribution. The current situation glaringly shows that the North has been left behind for too long, with insufficient electricity to meet the needs of its people and economy. We will not stand idly by while the region is further marginalized.
“Recall that the CNG had in 2022 faulted the then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for proposed sales of some power plants that were being held by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) for country. Meanwhile, the funds used in the establishment of the power plants included contributions from all states and local governments from the North with the agreement of replicating similar power plants development in the North.
“The CNG reminds northern governors that they it is high time they demand their due share from such investment to obtain the needed resources to build independent power projects in their states; otherwise, they have to pressurize the federal government to mobilise resources from its coffers and that of all other states to establish other power plants just like it did with the plants that had been earlier established in the South.
“The CNG, which consistently challenged the Government on its failure to honour the agreement of developing similar infrastructure in the North, has been vindicated with the consequences that has just started to manifest in the current complete blackout which will continue to haunt the entire northern Nigeria and stifle its development efforts for may years to come unless it is tackled head on and instantly.
“Hence, the CNG, as a matter of priority, charges the northern governors, senators, house of representative members to eschew their differences and work together and demand a fair investment in power plants in the North because their resources had been utilized for power plants development in the south.
“The time has come for decisive action. We urge the Government to not only restore electricity immediately but also to prioritize the North in power projects and infrastructural development plans. Anything less would be a betrayal of the region’s right to equitable development and fairness in national power resource allocation, which is totally unacceptable.
“The CNG reminds state governments, lawmakers and other political elite from the North of the need to take up this matter with the President directly and collectively as a matter of immediate and grave concern.”