By Gabriel Ewepu

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has voiced strong criticism toward the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and other stakeholders in the electricity sector over a prolonged five-day power outage affecting northern states.

The CNG, through a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Charanchi, emphasized the severity of the situation, citing reports of patients dying in hospitals due to lack of power for essential equipment such as oxygen machines.

Charanchi condemned the power cut as “alarming and unacceptable,” adding that it has left millions without electricity, disrupted businesses, and exacerbated the region’s economic challenges. He attributed the outage to vandalism on the Shiroro power line, which, combined with ongoing faults on a parallel line, has crippled power transmission to the North. The Coalition also highlighted infrastructure issues, noting that the Jos line, the only alternative source, has frequently tripped, creating a dire situation.

The CNG questioned the effectiveness of the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP), which, despite a budget allocation of $1.661 billion, has struggled to address these pressing needs. Charanchi pointed out that an additional $500 million intended for the Eastern Backbone project has been mismanaged, further stalling vital infrastructure projects that would have connected areas like Sokoto, Katsina, and Kaura Namoda.

The Coalition raised concerns about the current power allocation disparity, noting that northern regions are significantly underserved. With only two 330kV lines, northern DisCos receive a fraction of the power supplied to other areas, with Lagos alone benefiting from eight power lines. Charanchi remarked that this imbalance hampers the region’s growth and indicates systemic neglect of the North in national infrastructure planning.

A Call for Immediate Action

The CNG called on the Federal Government, TCN, northern governors, and lawmakers to urgently restore power and address the imbalance in power infrastructure and distribution across the country. The statement emphasized the urgent need for northern representation in power development projects, noting that the region contributes substantially to Nigeria’s power generation.

“The CNG calls for increased investment in Northern Nigeria’s power infrastructure, particularly in distribution,” the statement read. It urged northern leaders to unite and advocate for fair investment in power plants in the North, emphasizing the region’s longstanding underrepresentation in national energy development plans.

The Coalition warned that failure to address the region’s electricity needs would lead to further deterioration of essential services, economic hardship, and long-term developmental setbacks for northern Nigeria.