By The governors of Nigeria’s 19 northern states have issued an urgent call for energy diversification after widespread blackouts hit the region. Since early October, power outages have left 17 of the northern states without electricity, with Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, and Katsina suffering the most. Other affected states include Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa, disrupting daily life and economic activities.
The outages, largely attributed to vandalism of the critical Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, have led to a convening of northern governors and traditional rulers. Led by Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, who chairs the Northern States Governors’ Forum, a joint meeting was held on Monday in Kaduna. Attendees included prominent monarchs like the Sultan of Sokoto and the Emir of Bauchi, as well as governors and deputy governors from across the region.
A communiqué issued after the meeting urged the Federal Government to prioritize the restoration of power, improve infrastructure, and expand transmission capacity to better protect northern Nigeria’s power supply. The statement read, “We call on the Federal Government to address the ongoing power blackout and enhance security for our energy infrastructure. We also advocate for investments in diversified energy sources to strengthen our region’s resilience against future disruptions.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu to expedite efforts to restore power, warning against future sabotage. Following a briefing at Aso Rock, Tinubu instructed security forces to guard repair teams working on the damaged transmission lines and emphasized a need for long-term solutions. Tinubu’s Special Adviser, Bayo Onanuga, conveyed the President’s dismay over the blackout and commitment to resolve the crisis swiftly.
In addition to repair work, the Federal Government announced an investment plan of $1-2 billion for solar plants in each northern state to leverage the region’s sunlight. Minister Adelabu indicated this initiative could ease the load on the national grid and contribute to energy security.
In a related development, former presidential candidate Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso voiced concern over the outages, advocating for alternative energy sources to meet the region’s needs. He highlighted efforts made in Kano with the installation of turbines to reduce dependency on the grid.
Amid the crisis, opposition voices criticized the administration’s handling of energy policy, calling for faster, more sustainable solutions. In response, the ruling All Progressives Congress emphasized improvements in power generation, attributing the current blackout to vandalism rather than systemic failure.
Efforts to restore power are underway, with repair timelines estimated at three to five days, pending security assurances for repair crews.
