Northern governors in Nigeria have urged the federal government to take immediate action to resolve the ongoing power blackout, stressing its impact on daily life and economic activities.
Governors in the northern region have expressed concern about the ongoing blackout and are urging the Federal Government and relevant authorities to expedite efforts to restore power.
The Northern Governors’ Forum made this statement on Monday following a meeting in Kaduna, which included traditional rulers and other stakeholders.
“The governors stated in a communiqué issued after the meeting that they urge the Federal Government and relevant agencies to promptly address the ongoing electricity blackout impacting many Northern States, which is due to vandalism of transmission infrastructure.”
This issue highlights not only the vulnerability of essential infrastructure but also the necessity to construct more transmission lines and diversify our energy sources. This will enhance regional connectivity and bolster our energy resilience.
The sabotage of a transmission line in the area has caused power outages across the northern region for several days.
Businesses in various parts of the region are reporting losses, while some areas have seen economic activities come to a standstill due to the outage.
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Concerned about the development, President Bola Tinubu instructed Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and other relevant parties to expedite the restoration process.
Tinubu also instructed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, “to collaborate with the Army and Air Force in deploying sufficient security personnel, including aerial support, to safeguard the engineers repairing the damaged transmission line.”
Expressing concern over the vandalism of transmission lines, the president cautioned that Nigeria will no longer accept “intentional sabotage and destruction of public utilities.”
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that efforts are underway to restore power in the affected region.
According to Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, they are making every effort to restore bulk power supply swiftly despite current security challenges.
