Concerned by the widespread blackout in Northern Nigeria due to vandalism of the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has urged state governments and private investors to invest in alternative electricity sources to reduce reliance on the country’s aging power infrastructure.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Kwankwaso encouraged state governments to follow Kano’s example by installing two turbines in the Challawa Gorge and Tiga Dams, to create more sustainable and localized power solutions.
Expressing disappointment over the prolonged outage that has left homes in darkness and factories at a standstill, the NNPP leader wrote: “It is disheartening that many parts of Northern Nigeria are in total darkness today due to vandalism on the critical 330kV Shiroro-Kaduna power line, affecting states like Kano and Kaduna, as well as another line impacting Bauchi, Gombe, and other northeastern areas.
“This crisis, coupled with high petrol and diesel costs, has exacerbated the hardship, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced power sector capacity to prevent future disruptions,” Kwankwaso added.
Highlighting the abundant resources available to Nigeria, he called on state governments and private investors to take decisive steps toward alternative energy sources, citing Kano’s turbines as a viable example of reducing dependence on the nation’s insufficient and outdated energy grid.
