The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has raised concerns over a prolonged power outage that has affected large parts of Northern Nigeria for five consecutive days, crippling businesses and worsening the region’s economic struggles.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the group’s coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, lamented the severe impact of the blackout, noting that hospitals are unable to power oxygen supplies, endangering the lives of patients in critical conditions.
“Preliminary findings by the CNG indicate that this outage is the direct result of vandalism on the second Shiroro power line, which supplies the Kaduna station responsible for distributing power across the North. The first line has been faulty for months, and no efforts were made to repair it to avoid this preventable crisis,” Charanchi said.
He further criticized the delay in repairing two damaged towers on the Shiroro line and highlighted that the alternative Jos line, which has also faced disruptions, is not a sustainable solution.
Infrastructure Deficit and Transmission Issues
Citing expert assessments, the CNG described an infrastructure gap in power transmission to the North West and North East regions. Despite the launch of the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP) with a budget of $1.661 billion, the group accused authorities of mismanagement, stalling the project’s progress.
Additionally, the group expressed frustration over the misuse of over $500 million intended for the Eastern Backbone transmission project, which was supposed to enhance connectivity in key northern areas such as Sokoto, Kaura Namoda, and Katsina.
“With only one operational line between Jos and Kaduna, the North West faces severe limitations, and the North East is equally constrained with a single 330kV circuit from Jos to Gombe,” the statement added.
Imbalanced Power Allocation
The CNG condemned the disparity in national power distribution, pointing out that the North, despite its population size, receives far less power compared to Lagos and other southern regions.
“DisCos in the North, including Jos (60 MW), Kaduna (50 MW), Kano (20 MW), and Yola (30 MW), receive only 160 MW in total, while Lagos alone enjoys about 1,400 MW between the Eko and Ikeja DisCos,” Charanchi noted. “This allocation imbalance limits the North’s economic potential and reflects a history of neglect.”
Urgent Action Demanded
The group warned that the ongoing outage has pushed industries in the region to the brink of collapse and further deepened the hardship faced by citizens. Hospitals are reportedly unable to save lives, leaving patients to die due to the lack of electricity.
Quoting Professor Uwaifo, Charanchi said, “If you want to destroy a region, destroy its electric power supply. If you want to hold a region to a lower standard of living, you can do it by placing a limit on its supply of electric power.”
The CNG called on the Federal Government, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), northern governors, and lawmakers to act swiftly to restore power and address the region’s infrastructure challenges.
“We also demand a comprehensive review of the power distribution framework to ensure equitable access to electricity across all regions. The North, home to most of Nigeria’s hydropower stations, cannot continue to suffer from inadequate electricity,” the group said.
The CNG stressed the need for increased investments in the North’s power infrastructure and urged northern governors to demand a fair share of national power projects.
“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, ” the statement said.
