By Mustapha Salisu
The Federal Government has apologized to Northern Nigeria for the recent blackout, which lasted approximately 11 days, emphasizing that the incident was unintentional.
Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, delivered the apology during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) headquarters on Thursday.
The Minister clarified that the blackout in northern Nigeria was not deliberate, dismissing any notion that it was aimed at marginalizing the region. He stressed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is committed to serving all Nigerians.
Adelabu noted that his visit to Kano was to engage with key stakeholders, including KEDCO, to identify and address challenges affecting electricity distribution.
He highlighted the need to upgrade the transmission infrastructure in the North, which relies heavily on the Shiroro and Jos channels.
“This radial system makes the Northern region vulnerable to electricity disruptions whenever issues arise with these lines,” he explained.
To mitigate this, the Minister advocated for the establishment of independent power sources within state metropolises to support the National Grid.
He emphasized the importance of exploring alternative power sources as backups to the National Grid, to reduce the risk of future grid collapses.
The Managing Director of KEDCO, Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf, commended the Minister for his dedication, noting that the Minister is proactive in restoring power and ensuring security whenever there are outages.
Yusuf also highlighted the success of the 1-megawatt Bagaja Interconnected Mini Grid (solar plant) at Zawaciki, which has supplied electricity to connected households in the area.
He disclosed KEDCO’s plan to replicate similar solar plants in various capacities, ranging from 2 to 10 megawatts, across Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states, with about 30 vendors already engaged in the project.
Yusuf assured that by the end of 2025, KEDCO aims to add 60 megawatts of renewable energy, which will significantly benefit residential, commercial, and industrial users in Kano.
The MD also praised the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for their efforts to repair vandalized power infrastructure, with support from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Furthermore, Yusuf revealed that the Federal Government is working on a plan to provide 100 megawatts of power to each state across the country.
Highlights of the Minister’s visit includes a visit to KEDCO’s Head Office, a courtesy call to Kano State Governor and a tour to Zawaciki Solar Power Plant, Kumbotso and DanAgundi Transmission Stations.
