The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and stakeholders in the electricity sector for a five-day power outage affecting northern states. In a statement by National Coordinator Comrade Jamilu Charanchi, the coalition highlighted the dire consequences of the outage, including reports of patient fatalities in hospitals due to the failure of essential medical equipment like oxygen machines.
Charanchi described the situation as “alarming and unacceptable,” emphasizing that millions have been left without electricity, which has disrupted businesses and exacerbated the region’s economic difficulties. The outage was attributed to vandalism on the Shiroro power line, coupled with faults on a parallel line, severely crippling power transmission to the North. The coalition also pointed out that the Jos line, the only alternative source of electricity, frequently trips, worsening the crisis.
Criticizing the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP), which has a budget allocation of $1.661 billion but has struggled to resolve infrastructure issues, Charanchi highlighted mismanagement of an additional $500 million intended for the Eastern Backbone project. This mismanagement has stalled critical infrastructure developments that could benefit areas like Sokoto, Katsina, and Kaura Namoda.
The CNG raised concerns about the significant power allocation disparity, noting that northern regions are underserved compared to southern regions. With only two 330kV lines, northern Distribution Companies (DisCos) receive a small fraction of the power supplied to other areas, while Lagos benefits from eight power lines. Charanchi stated that this imbalance hampers northern growth and reflects systemic neglect in national infrastructure planning.
Call for Urgent Action
The coalition called on the Federal Government, TCN, northern governors, and lawmakers to take immediate action to restore power and address the infrastructural imbalances in power distribution across the country. The statement underscored the necessity for northern representation in power development projects, highlighting the region’s substantial contribution to Nigeria’s power generation.
“The CNG calls for increased investment in Northern Nigeria’s power infrastructure, particularly in distribution,” the statement read. It urged northern leaders to unite and advocate for equitable investment in power plants in the region, emphasizing the long-standing underrepresentation of the North in national energy development plans. The coalition warned that neglecting the electricity needs of the region would result in further deterioration of essential services, economic hardship, and long-term developmental setbacks for northern Nigeria.
