Senators representing the nineteen northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), have voiced serious concerns over prolonged power outages affecting Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states. These outages, primarily due to vandalism and issues with the national grid, have imposed substantial economic hardships on residents, with small businesses struggling to stay operational, hospitals facing rising operational costs, and everyday livelihoods heavily impacted by expensive alternative power sources.
In a statement released by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua (APC, Katsina Central), Chairman of the NSF, the forum urged the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, to urgently intervene to restore power to these affected areas. The NSF outlined specific requests for federal intervention, including:
1. Expedited Repairs: Immediate priority should be placed on repairing the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines to restore reliable power to these regions.
2. Enhanced Security: Increased security measures are necessary to prevent further vandalism and safeguard power infrastructure.
3. Support for Renewable Energy: Federal backing for Kano Electricity Distribution Company’s (KEDCO) renewable energy and mini-grid initiatives to provide sustainable power alternatives.
The NSF acknowledged recent advancements in power distribution under the current administration and expressed appreciation for these efforts. However, they emphasized that immediate action is needed to alleviate the hardships faced by citizens and to stimulate economic recovery in these areas.
