Electricity To Be Restored To North Within 72 Hours After Public Outcry

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

In response to mounting public outcry on the devastating blackout in northern Nigeria, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has pledged to restore electricity to affected regions within the next 72 hours. 

Adelabu made this announcement on Tuesday during a Senate inquiry regarding the prolonged outage impacting daily life and businesses across the North, as well as the ongoing issue of grid instability nationwide.

The recent outage, which began on October 22, affected large parts of the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions following the tripping of the 330-kilovolt (kV) Ugwaji-Apir double circuit transmission lines. 

Adding to the issue, Executive Director of the Independent System Operator, Nafisatu Ali, disclosed that insurgents had vandalized the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, which supplies power to the North, further complicating efforts to maintain reliable electricity service.

In light of these challenges, President Bola Tinubu has directed the military to provide security for power workers as they repair the damaged infrastructure. Adelabu reassured Nigerians that power would soon be temporarily restored to about 80% of affected states through an alternate Ugwuaji-Makurdi transmission line.

“Power will be restored to the North within two to three days,” Adelabu stated. “We are leveraging the Ugwuaji-Makurdi line as a temporary solution.”

The minister also revealed that plans are underway to fully access the damaged grid lines, which remain under threat from vandals, with the assistance of security agencies. Once accessible, crews will begin repairs, with full restoration expected within the next two weeks.

“We are actively working with security agencies to secure the grid from vandalism and restore full service. Within 14 days, I am confident we will complete repairs, restoring consistent power to all affected areas,” Adelabu added.