Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has expressed deep concerns on the ongoing power outage that has paralyzed large parts of Northern Nigeria over the past five days.
According to a press release signed by Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, National Coordinator, CNG, this unprecedented blackout has thrown millions of households into darkness, crippled businesses, and worsened the already dire economic situation in the region.
CNG reliably gathered that patients were already dying at various hospitals due to unavailability of the hospitals to supply alternative means of power to utilize Oxygens to save lives of the patients in severe and critical conditions.
Preliminary findings by the CNG indicate that this outage was the direct result of vandalism on the second Shiroro power line, which feeds the crucial Kaduna Station that distributes to other states in the North. We learnt too that the first other line has been faulty for months. Yet, no effort to fix it could have saved the current avoidable situation.
The statement read, “We are particularly disheartened to learn that two towers along this line have not received serious attention at the beginning of the problem to promptly restore power. Furthermore, the only alternative source of supply, the Jos line, has repeatedly tripped, which the TCN currently said is working to fix, but cannot bring about a lasting solution. The current state of affairs is not just unacceptable but deeply alarming.
“Lack of Transmission Capacity for the North West and North East; The CNG, after engaging with experts, learnt that there was also a significant infrastructural gap as there is no transmission system to carry sufficient power to the North West and North East regions. Despite the establishment of the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme, TREP, aimed at creating flexibility in transmission with a budget of $1.661 billion, mismanagement has hindered its progress.”
Additionally, it stated that over $500 million in savings, intended to support the Eastern Backbone transmission project—which would have connected key areas such as Sokoto, Kaura Namoda, Katsina, and beyond—has been mismanaged, further delaying essential connectivity.
“With the destruction of the two 330kV Single Circuit, SC, lines between Shiroro and Kaduna, only one single circuit from Jos to Kaduna now supplies the entire North West. Similarly, the North East depends on a single circuit line, the Jos-Gombe 330kV, meaning both regions face severe limitations in power transmission infrastructure.
“Severe Power Allocation Imbalance
The CNG observed that the North, which accounts for a significant portion of Nigeria’s population and economic activity, is shamefully underserved in terms of electricity infrastructure and distribution. The region relies on only two 330kV lines, while Lagos alone benefits from eight power lines. This disparity reflects a pattern of long-standing neglect and imbalance in national power infrastructure investment.
“In addition, the current DisCo Load Allocation is alarmingly skewed. DisCos operating across the North—including Jos (60 MW), Kaduna (50 MW), Kano (20 MW), and Yola (30 MW)—receive only 160 MW out of the existing 4,249 MW capacity. In stark contrast, Lagos’s Eko and Ikeja DisCos cumulatively receive about 1,400 MW, while Ibadan, Benin, Enugu, and Port Harcourt also benefit from significantly higher allocations. This allocation imbalance not only limits the North’s development potential but also reveals a pattern of systematic neglect.
“The Need for Immediate and Comprehensive Action; This current outage has, in the last 120 hours, pushed our already struggling industries to the brink of collapse, with businesses suffocating under prolonged power failure. Our people, who are already grappling with economic challenges, cannot continue to bear the brunt of such systemic inefficiencies. Hospitals can no longer save lives but allow patients to die helpless.
“To quote Professor Uwaifo, “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.” This implies that some people are determined to destroy our region and keep us the poverty capital of the world through lowering our standard of living by deny our business, hospitals and industries access to electricity,” the statement stated.
The CNG called on the Federal Government, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Northern Governors, Lawmakers and all relevant stakeholders to immediately expedite efforts to ensure power is restored to the North noting that this unacceptable outage must be treated with the urgency it deserves.
“We also demand a comprehensive review of the current electricity distribution framework to ensure fair and equitable access to power across all regions of the country. We call on the FG, TCN, and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to explain the rationale behind this lopsided allocation, given that the North is home to most of Nigeria’s hydropower stations. It is incomprehensible that the North is left with a minimal share of national power, especially considering the region’s critical role in the country’s power generation infrastructure,” CNG demanded.
An Urgent Call for Northern Power Infrastructure Investment; the CNG called for increased investment in Northern Nigeria’s power infrastructure, especially in distribution saying that 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 and 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 reminded the Northern Governors that they it was 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, charged the Northern Governors, Senators, House of Representatives 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.
It group added, “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 reminded 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.