Outrage Trails Persistent Power Outages in Northern Nigeria

Yinka Olatunbosun 

Concerned Nigerians have expressed their anger on the persistent power outage that is currently plaguing the Northern part of Nigeria. 

Disturbing videos of some Nigerians resorting to self help by illegally tapping into street light cables to charge their electronic devices are awash on social media. 

Seventeen out of 19 states in Northern Nigeria have been without electricity for at least nine days. The affected states include Sokoto, Zamfara, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe and Katsina.

The situation may not be unconnected with the repeated vandalism of the towers belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria. 

The 330kV Shiroro-Kaduna power line that supplies the states of Kano and Kaduna and another line that supplies Bauchi, Gombe and other parts of the North-east had been reportedly vandalised. 

Expectedly, the persistent power outage occasioned by this unlawful practice has taken its toll on the prices of commodities.

In reaction to the online outrage trailing this outage, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed his concern on the current power crisis which is an addition to the nationwide agony caused by the hike in food and fuel prices, high inflation rates, weak currency and widespread poverty.

He said: “The continued power outages in many parts of the country, particularly in the northern and eastern states, as well as South-south states, have remained a cause of grievous concern.

“It is heartbreaking to see that the affected states, majorly in the northern parts of Nigeria, have been facing a total blackout for several days now. 

“The negative impact of the continued power outage on businesses, especially small businesses, who depend primarily on public power supply to sustain their businesses as a means of livelihood, is unimaginable.

“This power crisis, when combined with the present high cost of petroleum products and a harsh operating environment, remains a lethal recipe for widespread business failure and increasing poverty in the country.”

He called on the government to seek sustainable solutions to this perennial challenge citing the example of Egypt.

“Our African neighbour, Egypt, for example, invested aggressively in their power sector, which resulted in the establishment of a sustainable power infrastructure by way of many power stations. Today, Egypt has revolutionised power and energy production in the country, providing sustainable power to millions of small businesses, which account for over 90% of active enterprises in the country and contribute to over 80 per cent of their GDP. My sincere thoughts are with everyone enduring these tough times in our nation.”

A former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has expressed a similar sentiment in a press statement, condemning the current situation of electricity supply in Northern Nigeria.

He said: “This situation has been further compounded by the high cost of petrol and diesel in Nigeria, which has further plunged homes into darkness and forced factories to close down. 

“The time this crisis has taken to be addressed underscores the huge deficit of capacity our power sector has in order to address large scale problems and this must be addressed to avoid any future disruption.”

He urges the government to look into alternative sources of power to tackle the situation.

“I wish to encourage all state governments and private investors to invest in alternative electricity sources, just like we did in Kano by installing two turbines in the Challawa Gorge and Tiga Dams in order to reduce the reliance on our inadequate and aged energy sources,” he added.