The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has voiced concern over an extended power outage affecting northern Nigeria, which has left millions without electricity and disrupted businesses across the region.
The outage, which has persisted for over 120 hours, is attributed to vandalism of the second Shiroro Power Line, a critical link that feeds the Kaduna station and distributes power to other northern states.
In a statement, CNG’s national coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, highlighted that the first Shiroro line has been non-functional for months.
“No effort to fix it could have saved the current avoidable situation,” Charanchi said, expressing frustration that two damaged towers along the line had not received timely attention to restore power.
The coalition also pointed to issues with the Jos line, the sole backup for the Shiroro lines, which has repeatedly tripped.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has been working to repair the line, but CNG argues that a comprehensive solution is needed.
The power failure has raised questions about the lack of adequate infrastructure in the region.
According to CNG, infrastructure limitations mean there is no adequate transmission system to supply the North-West and North-East regions.
Despite the establishment of the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP), with a budget of $1.661 billion aimed at improving flexibility in transmission, the project has been stalled due to alleged mismanagement.
The coalition noted that northern Nigeria, home to a significant part of the country’s population and economic activity, is underserved in terms of power infrastructure. Northern states rely on only two 330kV lines, while Lagos has access to eight.
“This disparity reflects a pattern of long-standing neglect and imbalance in national power infrastructure investment,” CNG said.
Highlighting disparities in power distribution, CNG reported that northern distribution companies (DisCos) such as Jos, Kaduna, Kano, and Yola receive allocations between 20 to 60 MW each. By contrast, Lagos’s Eko and Ikeja DisCos collectively receive around 1,400 MW, while other regions also receive substantially higher allocations.
The coalition called on the federal government, TCN, northern governors, lawmakers, and other relevant stakeholders to restore power urgently.
It further demanded a review of the country’s electricity distribution framework to ensure fair and balanced access to power across all regions.
