Kwankwaso laments power outage in north, says alternative energy sources must be considered

• The national grid has collapsed eight times in 2024, with the first recorded on February 4.
• Also, on March 28, April 15, July 6, and August 5, the national grid collapsed.
• Nigerians experienced another blackout on October 14, October 15, and October 19.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, Former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP) has lamented the power outage in Northern Nigeria.

Kwankwaso said it’s disheartening that many parts of Northern Nigeria are in total darkness as a result of vandalism.

He said the situation is further compounded by the high cost of petrol and diesel in the country.

In a post on his X handle on Monday, the former Kano State governor said the high cost of fuel had plunged homes into darkness and forced factories to close down.

He suggested that the nation should look into alternative power sources to address energy needs to exploit the abundant resources available to the country.

“It is very disheartening that many parts of Northern Nigeria are in total darkness today due to vandalism on the important 330kV Shiroro-Kaduna power line that supplies the states of Kano and Kaduna and another line that supplies Bauchi, Gombe and other parts of the northeast.

“This situation has been further compounded by the high cost of petrol and diesel in Nigeria, which has further plunged homes into darkness and forced factories to close down.

“The time this crisis has taken to be addressed underscores the huge deficit of capacity our power sector has in order to address large-scale problems and this must be addressed to avoid any future disruption.

“It is about time that we look into alternative power sources to address our energy needs and we need to exploit the abundant resources available to this country.

“I wish to encourage all state governments and private investors to invest in alternative electricity sources, just like we did in Kano by installing two turbines in the Challawa Gorge and Tiga Dams in order to reduce the reliance on our inadequate and aged energy sources.”